It's Sunday morning and Christmas Eve. I am here in my attic bedroom instead of heading out the door to church. My head is stuffy and my body aches. I am hoping an abundance of fluids and a bit of quiet will help with a miraculous recovery. In the meantime, I will be thankful for the gift of discomfort that provides a bit of understanding for terribly cranky, runny-nosed babies and small children at work who are unable to explain why all they want is to cry and be cuddled.
It another different kind of Christmas. I am not at "home" and yet I am... I spent all my childhood Christmases here. The walls reverberate with memories, and the falling snow transports me quickly and quietly back in time to days of Mom baking cookies in the little galley kitchen, Dad leafing through Ideal magazines while he sips coffee in his corner rocking chair, and my sisters and I playing in the presents underneath the Christmas tree. The snow drifts down in fat, fluffy flakes and we are safe and warm...
Tomorrow, sick or not, I will travel through the snow to spend Christmas Day in my "other home," the one my kids now call "
Dad's house." My heart will swell and ache as I sift through memories and emotions. I may come home sad and confused, or perhaps God will grant me the gift of clearer understanding as to where I am headed.
I've missed baking Christmas cookies, assembling graham crackers houses, and trimming the family tree this year, but it's been a season full of blessings. My heart may ache, but it is full as well. My son met me at the Christmas Eve Eve service last night. He has a new job he loves and I am one blessed mom. What better Christmas gift is there than knowing your child is happy and encouraged?
It’s me-Priscilla. I don’t know what is wrong , but I have been unable to comment using my google account lately.
ReplyDeleteThere are no Sunday morning services at our church today...but they start this afternoon and run into the evening.
However, I have the same headache and stuffiness as you to. I might not make it. I was supposed to serve coffee this afternoon, but I already told them I could not.
I miss being a kid. I miss mom sitting in her corner of the couch, working on crocheting her Afghan, and dad sitting near her sipping coffee. I miss the energy I felt. I was almost always ready to play a game or do something interesting.
Have a merry Christmas. This year will be the hardest for you. Oh...it was good to see Ben so happy the other night.
Perhaps it will be the hardest, and then again, maybe the hardest are already behind me.
DeleteI had a giant cup of tea and will now take a bit of a nap. After that a shower and a bit of wrapping.
It is wonderful to see Ben happy again! I need this for my middle child too.
Let's plan on being kids again next year, okay? Those were fun times.
:0)
...find peace this Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOkay...so now I am able to comment using my google account. Baffling! I had checked and rechecked to make sure I was signed in to google and it wouldn’t work.
ReplyDeleteAnd now it’s fine!
I think about Joe a lot. I will say a prayer for him right now. I hope he can find joy.happiness and peace.