We are going very minimalistic this year. MaryAnne suggested that since Jesus only received three gifts, maybe three would be a good number for us to go with. That amount was exceeded a bit, but not by much.
As any parent , I hope it is a good Christmas for our boys. They know it is not about the presents, but still, the presents do matter a little...
This is the first year in my life I can truly say that I don't want anything under the tree. I have always wanted something, a tool or toy; machine parts for my mad scientist inventions or programming software for some imagined computer controlled creation.
Not this year... And I have no idea why.
I suppose there are things I would want, but they are things impossible. I guess I'll put the list out anyway.
1. I would love to have my Mother given one day now that she feels like she used to, before the COPD hijacked her life. One day not to worry about oxygen tanks and inhalers. One day she could play with my children or work in her flower garden, pain free.
2. To go back in time to my Wonderful Wife's twelfth Christmas and watch her open the Tuesday Taylor Dream house that her parents gave her. I saw the photograph of her opening it and the utter joy and surprise on her face eclipsed all else.The picture is priceless. I would love to be back there and see the look on her mom and dads face, giving her such joy.
3 One more Christmas Eve at my Grandparents with all my Uncles, Aunts and cousins. At that time I had no idea how precious those moments were. It has been over forty years since the last one I remember. That would be a great gift.
4 One more Christmas at home as a child with my family. Christmas was like a cease fire in our house. It was a magic day of peace and happiness. I'd take a couple more of those...
5. A repeat of Mare and my first Christmas dinner. Her mom, Lorretta and dad John came, along with my father. MaryAnne was pregnant with Nick and we were all squeezed into our tiny one bedroom apartment and nook of a kitchen. It was amazing..
These are the presents on my list. I guess I'm being selfish because most of these are gifts I was given long ago. I just had no idea how priceless they were at that time.
So today, my wish for me, is my wish for all of you. We cannot turn back time, but we can go back. All it takes is to enter our memories. I hope this season, as we all are savoring the new moments we are creating, that somewhere we find the time to remember the ones of long ago, the special times that turn our hearts into the children we were and let us re-live the joys past.
I wish us all a Merry Christmas. After all the boxes under the tree are unwrapped, take a moment to untie the ribbon in your heart. Let loose the Christmas magic history that it holds.
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