Thursday, December 25, 2008

Glad That is Over With

It always seems so anti-climatic, when Christmas Day finally arrives. All the running around and fretting over gifts, the wrapping, the cooking, the family, the relatives, the friends, the coworkers, etc. and for what? Less than an hour, it's all over with. You say your "thank yous" whether you mean it or not. The floor littered with the remnants of gift wrap you labored over, stressed over and finally completed. A sink full of dirty dishes and a house in disarray. Shoe prints on the carpet, tire tracks in the yard, another guest gone till some other holiday or tragic event brings you together again. A huge sigh of relief from everyone as the day winds down.

I still love the holiday season as much as ever. Sure, I miss my friends and grandparents, but this holiday is for the living. It's about hope, surprises and the strength of family and traditions. It's about the future, forgiveness and love. I took time to go by my grandparents' old place before heading over to my parents' house. I took some pictures and just roamed room to room, alone with my thoughts. I remembered how thing once were and how different my entire world seems now from my distant youth. Like some other's life superimposed on mine. As was walking toward the door to leave, out loud, I wished my grandparents a Merry Christmas, where ever they were. After all, that was their last known address.

2 comments:

Java said...

Merry Christmas Dave! I think these obligatory holiday gatherings are for making memories. We may only feel tired or stressed about this years family gathering. But in years to come we will remember the good bits, and forget the tire tracks in the yard, the pile of dishes in the sink, and the snippy way Aunt Agatha brought up the incident with the hedge trimmers. So really today is not for today. Today is for tomorrow, just like years ago was for today, when you were visiting your grandparents the only way you still can. Yesterday's experiences make today enjoyable in that way.

Lemuel said...

One of th emost wonderful things about this season is how well it blends - uniquely for each individual - the pleasant memeories of the past, the joys of the present, and our hopes for the future - if we allow it to.

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