Christmas Day (As reported on Dec 27th)

When I was a kid, Christmas had a lot of rituals. My sisters and I would always bring cookies to various neighbors. Tinsel was always put on the tree on Christmas eve, and there was always a "talent show", where everyone would do something one by one to entertain everyone else. Presents were a drawn out affair, lasting all day as we opened them one by one. My father would come up the driveway with bags of gifts like Santa Claus. There was always a picture of my step father napping. I store these images in a secret niche in my heart, lit by strings of coloured lights. It's always warm there, and I always feel safe. Sadly, our family has scattered apart, and the yearning to go back to that place will never really be satisfied. Nothing can be as it was.

My mother in law said something that stuck with me, though, which I will paraphrase to you here. These are the years, she said, where we establish for Griffin what Christmas will be like forever. The traditions we make as a family are the ones he will remember, and hopefully store in a secret niche in his heart. My wish is that he will feel safe there, too.

Christmas was good. I don't just mean the gifts (which were fabulous, and thank you to everyone). I mean that we were together, we were warm, and we were unharmed. My physical problems were thankfully background this year, instead of the focus. We had each other, and we had good cheer.

Griffin loved the tree. He likes looking at the lights, and the ornaments. He loves ripping paper, and if not for our vigilance, would have eaten a good quantity of it as well. He loved visiting with his cousins, too. Right now, all his explorations involve hitting or eating something, so he was a little frustrated that he wasn't allowed to see how they tasted.

There was a bounty of gifts for him, and I thank you all. The books, toys, stuffed animals, clothing, and videos will all be used, and often.:)

I wish you joy in the new year.
-Autumn