It is boxing day of boxing day. December 27th. It is the day life begins again after the excitement and buzz of Christmas. The presents are opened and all over the room are bits and pieces of transformers, miniature dolls and strips of wrapping paper. There is leftover turkey and blueberry pie in the fridge, and Mr. Man is back to work dealing with car accidents and Christmas tree fire claims.
Where did it all go?
I grasp at the signs of yesterday: our old dog, exhausted from travel, hunkered over his new dog bed; kids lingering in new pyjamas; the Christmas cactus hanging onto its last blossoms; the piles of Christmas cards and church bulletins with carol hymns carefully typed inside.
Christmas 2012 was delightful. It was calm, content, and satisfying. How do I know? Perhaps because I do not have one single photo to capture the festivities. I was too busy enjoying the conversation, the joyful faces, and, of course, the food. The holiday is not complete without mom's mincemeat tarts. And watching A Muppet Family Christmas.
Perhaps it was because all of Christmas day I was down and out with a terrible cold keeping me from fussing and worrying about everything. It left me with just enough energy to sit up on the couch to watch and listen. An unforeseen chance at soaking in Christmas instead of trying to control it.
Perhaps it was because of the horrendous shooting in Newtown, and the deaths of two volunteer firemen in Webster, NY, that I cherished each moment with my children and our extended families. As much as I wanted the kids to experience the excitement of Santa and needed everyone to get along, the blessings of good health, safety in our travels, and the warmth of a wood stove (don't forget the invention of cough syrup), was certainly enough to say it was a calm and contented Christmas.
In the midst of the evil of this world, and the threat of what could be, on this boxing day of boxing day, I grasp and hold onto the the last few scents and signs of Christmas, and whether or not I have pictures to prove it, know that the Lord has blessed us in all of the ways that matter.
I hope yours was even as half as good as ours. Many blessings to you.
Erin
