The best part of Christmas is when the kids come home. Once again the house is alive with activity and noise. It's a time for the renewal of old friendships and the refreshment of close relationships.
Music and laughter fill the rooms, and the entrances once again become swinging doors. There's a lot of catching up to do, gifts to shop for, decorations to put up, food to prepare, and lots of love to share.
There are presents to wrap, cards to address and mail, letters to write, and visits to Santa.
There is romping in the snow to be done and snowmen to build.
There are old family photos to look through again for the 100th time. Here's one we found of Dad taken a few Christmases ago. Hope mom doesn't kill us.
We found a school paper one of us wrote eons ago about what Christmas meant to a child. We have no idea why Mom keeps hanging onto this stuff, but it's actually kind of fun to read it again now that we're grown.....sort of.
Christmas is the decorations that go up everywhere the day after Halloween. Thanksgiving isn't even here yet.
Christmas is making a secret present for your Dad at school, but it's always a calendar.
Christmas is that awful feeling that another year has gone by.
Christmas is hearing about those partridges and pear trees until you're ready to lose your mind.
Christmas is a bowl of hard candy that always sticks together.
Christmas is not really understanding this business about the flying reindeer.
Christmas is when people say nice things to you who otherwise don't even know you're alive.
Christmas is when you hug your little brother.
Christmas is giving your last two nickels to the Salvation Army....cheerfully.
Christmas is another box of candied fruit from your Aunt Agnes in California.
Christmas is geeting all those cards from people you never sent any to.
Christmas is the church play....but why do I always have to be the shepherd?
Christmas is losing your mother downtown in a crowded store.
Christmas is buying Mom something she always wanted....a 49-cent bottle of bath salts.
Christmas is realizing how little you can buy for 50 cents.
Christmas is wishing you had gotten this stupid present gift-wrapped.
Christmas is a box of tree ornaments that have become a part of the family.
Christmas is suggesting that we decorate the tree with cranberries and popcorn like in the old days,
but we never do it.
Christmas is wishing there really was such a thing as an old-fashioned Christmas.
Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.
Christmas is a good day not to be in the hospital.
Christmas is going over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother's house....except that she's
moved to an apartment.
Christmas is candy canes, and can't I eat just ONE?
Christmas is waiting for the grown-ups to finish eating so we can open the presents.
Christmas is the joy of giving, but getting is pretty good too.
Christmas is watching the President light the Christmas tree on the White House lawn.
Christmas is a time of waiting....and waiting....and waiting....and waiting.
Christmas is wishing you could have seen the Star of Bethlehem.
Christmas is a time of hope....a time of loving....a time of joy.
Christmas makes the rest of the year worthwhile.
Well, it's almost time to open the gifts now. Dad will probably get his usual 12 ties, and Mom will no doubtedly get enough perfume to sink a battleship. But it's amazing how really excited they get opening up their presents from the kids and grandkids. It's almost like how it once was for us....
We hope you enjoy the holidays and that all your dreams, hopes and wishes come true. And, most of all, we hope you feel the joy of that first Christmas, when Jesus was born. Remember, He is the reason for the season.
