Tag Archives: Christmas

Comfort and Joy 🌲

Comfort and Joy 🌲

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It’s 12:30pm on Christmas day and I’m upstairs bathing my grandson, Boe, enjoying his little boy antics and squeals of glee. I check my watch and call down to whomever will hear “Hey! Don’t forget to put the roast in the oven at 1!” My sons and daughter in law are scurrying about preparing for our 20 plus guests- straightening out the toys, figuring out the logistics of the oven and deciding whether or not to do the veggies on the grill outside. “I need a bigger kitchen!” – my mantra since my first apartment as a new bride. I inherited the tendency to cook for a crowd from my mother who taught me that food is love.  I’m afraid my kitchen lust will only get me in trouble. If you build it they will come!

Oh Lordy.

I am mentally checking off my to do list until the first guests begin to arrive. Caught up in conversation and coat hanging I relinquish control and my sons and daughter in law take over. The last minute preparations are all taken care of. It happens like that every year. Patrick, the kitchen guru, masterminds the veggies outside on the grill while tending to the 18 lb. prime rib in the oven. Rob organizes the gifts for the white elephant game. Breezy and Peter replenish the appetizers and open wine. It’s magical. When it’s time to eat, I have no idea how it all came together.

Along with the gluten free, vegan, dairy free and vegetarian dietary preferences, I prepared an invocation or “prayer” if you will for all types of believers or non believers- Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Athiest, or just plain hungry for something!

Beloved Lord,

we do greatly thank you

for the abundance

that is ours 

Amen

For a crazy moment I want to freeze time and keep all these people in my house with the Christmas tree all lit up and the table set with the finest china- the gifts under the tree and the love in the room- little Thomas and Boe young and innocent forever- it all brings me such strength, comfort and joy… I believe we have collectively in this room the power to change the world.

A quote that my sons and daughter in law threw around in jest for several days before Christmas was:

With great power comes great responsibility. ~Voltaire

How providential. The abundance is for us to enjoy. Yes. And it is also ours to share. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t take a particular religion (or food preference) to feel the responsibility to be a man or woman for others. We have so much. We have much to give.

I love my family and I don’t want for a minute to take my “wealth” for granted. I could bottle up all this love and keep it for myself. But it’s such a privilege to be able to “pay it forward”.

Maybe a big ass kitchen wouldn’t be a bad idea after all! Just think of all the guests we could seat and feed!

Perhaps we would entertain angels…

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Putting away Christmas…

Putting away Christmas…

Ok.. on to the next thing.

My niece and future daughter in law are including me in a group text about wedding showers, having babies and when’s the next party.  My cup runneth over but my energy runneth low. Even though I deeply admire their youthful enthusiasm and love for each other and for me,  I want to text back “Ladies!  Let me get Christmas put away first!”

So many things to look forward to in the new year.  But before I go there I want to be here. I want to be here to put Christmas away.  I want to look at all the ornaments I threw on the tree in such a rush between working, traveling and meal preparing.  It all happened so fast and now it’s over.

I want to be in the kitchen once more with my three sons and my future daughter in law cooking Christmas dinner and laughing about nonsense while the two Goldens, Lua and Willow, gaze at the oven door with the 25 lb. bird inside, hoping to get a quick lick when Patrick opens it to baste.

I want to see Gramma Louise ask for refills on the Vodka Punch, all the while relaxing and enjoying the hustle bustle of her family.

I want to hear once again all the various conversations at the Christmas dinner table with all the guest glowing from the warmth of good food and wine.  I want to reveal the secret ingredient in the stuffing and listen for the pregnant pause.  (ok.. no more secret ingredients in the stuffing- I promise.)  BTW Who guessed the baby Jesus?

I think this was the best Christmas ever.

Years ago, when I was in my early 20’s, I never bought Christmas paper on sale after Christmas.  I didn’t anticipate there being another Christmas.  You know.. it was the ’80s and everyone was talking about Jesus coming again and Revelations in the bible.  Good Catholic that I was (still am but not as good) I took it all to heart.   Existential angst had me wondering about the meaning of life and how my life was going to pan out. It became somewhat of a joke among my family and friends.  After Christmas sales?  You won’t see Rosemarie there!

Now I find myself looking forward to many Christmases to come.  And to wedding, babies, celebrations and most of all to a life filled with love and belonging.  I consider that progress.

But today I am content to take down the ornaments and unstring the lights.  Open empty boxes.  Nativity scene goes in this bag.  Delicate ornaments go in the tins.  Stocking folded with the little white hooks inside for easy hanging next year.  One last deep inhale of the still fragrant tree.

 

 

What would you like for Christmas?

What would you like for Christmas?

Madonna and Child

I’ve always thought of the Christmas holiday preparation and grand finale similar to taking up an additional part time job in December.  The question of what would I like for Christmas seems to be the last thing on my mind.  I’m thinking more in terms of how the heck I’m going to get my Christmas shopping, decorating, and baking done with the final push being the full sit down dinner with turkey and clean sparkling glassware.  All the while showing up for my full time job and being a positive presence for students who are stressed out studying for finals!  (Well.. at least I don’t have 7 finals to study for!)

Yesterday one of my students came in to chat with me about a project she’s been working on.  She has a blog that has taken on a life of its own and has become quite popular internationally.  www.justlittlethings.net is a daily reminder of things we should appreciate in life.  She is coming up on the one year anniversary of her blog and gets thousands of hits a day.  If you take a look you will see why she has attracted so many followers.

The things she appreciates are all free.  Free for the taking.

Unfolding a paper snowflake.

Getting a compliment you’ve never received before.

Remembering there are good leftovers from the day before.

Getting your hair brushed.

Glancing over at someone and he/she is already looking at you.

Logging on to Facebook on your birthday!

As of today there are 537 things to appreciate.  All realized by a 16 year old girl.  That’s a gift in itself.

My meeting with Nancy made me think about the gifts of Christmas that are free for the taking.  Gifts that make a significant difference in our lives.  Forgiveness, faith, love, hope, kindness, mercy, grace, joy, peace, countenance, patience, piety, discipline, integrity, courage, acceptance, knowledge, fortitude.  There are too many to list.  All available to us.  All free.

Perhaps these are the real gifts of Christmas.

If a 16 year old girl knows what’s most important in life, shouldn’t we?