Holding On To Christmas

I tried to hold on to Christmas this year, I truly did. As soon as I felt time speeding away from me, I mentally told it to slow down. I savored. I enjoyed. I talked and listened and cooked and ate and cleaned and started over again and laughed til I cried all the while begging and even willing time to slow down. I did not want Christmas to come and go. I just wanted it to stay because when Christmas is here everything but the happy goes away for a few glorious moments and we don't have to worry about anything or miss anyone. We just stay in the Christmas moment which really is the most wonderful time of the year. Even without snow.

I took my time wrapping presents. I carefully and slowly prepared meals and Christmas goodies. I hung the ornaments on the tree with care in slow motion. I thought carefully about each gift and the recipients. I thoughtfully put together a daughter gift that took hours and hours. I forced myself not to wish the days away before the arrival of NashvilleDaughter and DrummerBoy.

I slowed down the opening of the presents as much as they'd let me which really turned out to be not much. I slowed down the eating of the Christmas feast which they didn't argue about much because this is a family who loves to eat. I slowed down the watching of the Christmas movies but they took away the remote. Time marched on and on and on.

I sat and watched the faces of my precious grandbabies. I held them and cuddled them. I laughed at their delightful merriment. I watched them unwrap gifts by pulling one tiny strip of paper at a time without trying to rush them. I watched very young cousins share hugs and kisses. And play hide-and-seek. And I delighted in their amazement.

I barely contained myself at the hilarity of all 4 sisters under our family roof with their SOs. I took picture after picture after picture after picture. I listened to their grown-up stories and shared my own. I watched with pride as they showed how much they love each other and as they doted on their niece/daughter and nephew/son.

No matter how hard I tried, Christmas came and went but not without a few lessons.

A few notes about an empty nest Christmas:

• When giving a toddler a little kid's tablet (yes, we did this because she has figured out how to get into our phones and between missing a few things and calling people it's just going to be better this way and also yes, we will limit her screen time in a big way and one more yes, I realize she loves it because we're all on our stupid phones way too much but she does need to be tech savvy to compete/survive these days so...the debate continues) please make sure it's already turned on and on the home page because the sounds a toddler makes when she can't have it RIGHT NOW are ear piercing. Toddlers know how to throw conniption fits. As a matter of fact, they may have created the very first one.  

• When you have all your grown up kiddos and their SOs (minus one who was visiting his fam because who doesn't want to be with family during the holidays and they aren't married anyway so...) under your roof for the holidays, watching them interact together and being truly terrific at being aunts/uncles and mommies/daddies your heart will nearly burst from all the feels so learned to control the teary eyes or use the allergy excuse and have tissue on hand. 

• No matter how hard you try to hold onto Christmas it will do you like all the other days of the year and pass by at the speed of light or sound, which onen is faster? Anyway, enjoy every single precious moment even though you know it will end because it will leave some of the most wonderful memories behind and you certainly don't want to miss those. 

• Share the job of photographer. If you're stuck behind the camera the whole time you'll miss too much so take turns passing the camera around and passing it around almost assures you you'll see something later you missed during. Also, at some point just put it down and enjoy watching.

• If you give your grown up kiddos a sentimental gift, have another box of tissues on hand. 

• Prepare to be overwhelmed with laughter and love, Y'all. There is just no other way to say it. Oh and don't worry about taking pictures of the food if you forget. That's not the most important thingh even though it is delicious! And you do save yourself from the judgement of people wondering if your whole family is made up of gluttons. 

• Try as you might, you won't be able to stop Christmas from being over but we can hold that feeling in our hearts and show it in our actions throughout the new year and that, friends, is what Christmas is all about. 

Wishing Y'all love and peace through the new year 

and a happiness that is more than you ever hoped!