I awoke at 4 AM this Christmas Eve and lay there in bed, squeezing my eyes shut, imagining myself in my Grandma's back room, listening to the muffled voices of my early-rising family. There's so much comfort in being a child, safe in bed, half-asleep and half in the land of the sounds and smells and bustle of family just in the other room, family who loves you, family who cooks you awake with bacon, and ruffles your hair and kisses your first tentative daily steps into safety and warmth.
It's never looked and felt less like Christmas in my own home this year, due to our move and the house being mostly packed, but it's never felt more like it in my heart. I would have my children emerge from their rooms this morning into wrinkle in time, so that they may feel as I have felt so many Christmas Eves, as a child, when I looked up to the world and it didn't so much look down on as smile upon me. Flocking, lights, boughs of holly, falalalala lalalala. Arranging and re-arranging the presents under the tree. Taking a musical trip to an open fire, where chestnuts roast, and jack frost nips playfully at your nose.
They won't have that this year. They will have our tiny tree and a sea of candles which Joe will remind me to light, and be amazed and satisfied by. He will tell me, as he has for the last four days, that today is Christmas and that it's time to open the presents. That "it is a good morning".
I will hear Lily awaken and tap her feet all over her wall, and tickle me into smiles with her coos and gaiety. When I bring her into the living room and gently place her on the rug, she will not fret for what isn't there, as, thankfully, she will not remember to register the lack of it. She will pussyfoot over to her brother and laugh at his expression, and they will playfully crawl in circles, chasing each other like puppies.
Dennis will eventually give up on sleep and plod down the hallway, his mind on the Christmas pastries we didn't make, but purchased ahead of time, happy to have them, and wanting our hugs and bodily warmth, to hear our laughter and see our beaming faces and to know that he can rest for today and enjoy the mood and magic that is Christmas.
Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah to you and all you hold dear!
I'm so very glad our paths crossed this year.
Soon 'twill be time to start anew, again...
Let's give the world heck in 2010!
"cooks you awake with bacon" What a wonderfully evocative post! You transported me into my past and your present with a few inspired paragraphs. Thanks, and a very Merry Christmas to you all.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you write, Heather!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
.-= Creative Junkie´s last blog ..Christmas Eve is going to be awesome! I just hope I don’t kill Santa =-.
Hi Heather. Just got some free time here in this boring sunny beach resort in Brazil, hehe... Anyway, I wish you and your family a very Hppy X'Mas and a "rocking" new year. I'm glad we did cross our path's this year and hopefully will continue to further enhance our friendship in 2010.
ReplyDelete.-= DiTesco´s last blog ..DiTesco's Weekly Echo #15 =-.
The thought of bacon just made me hungry! lol! Anyway, Merry Christmas again to you and yours!
ReplyDelete.-= Charles Ravndal´s last blog ..Merry Christmas! =-.
Aww, that sounded so sweet! :D well i'm sure you will enjoy your Christmas this year, for you have your kids around! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays, and have a great year ahead! :D
.-= Grey´s last blog ..All About Emoticons! Concise History and List of Emoticons =-.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! May the joy of Christmas be
ReplyDeletewith you throughout the next year! :D
.-= Japaul Vergonia´s last blog ..A Merry Little Christmas to Everyone! =-.
Agreed on the husbands having to relinquish that Christmas Morning sleep. Mine is back napping now for the second time since Kelly has us all 'round the tree at 8:00 am.
ReplyDeleteTo think that next year you will be all beautifully settled in Plano, with the biggest best most Christmassy Christmas ever imagined!!
Melli Kalikima, my friend!!
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..A Peanuts Christmas Song For You =-.
Merry Christmas Heather, and I'm sure even with the lack of Christmas stuff around you that you will still have a great time because you are all together.
ReplyDeleteDo you know that this is the first time we didn't decorate our home for Christmas? The upside, nothing to take down....Yayyyyyy!
Have a blogging good year mate.
.-= Sire´s last blog ..How Amazon And The Power Of Keywords Can Increase Your Earnings =-.
Thanks, Sire! I have to know... why didn't you decorate? Just not in the mood?
ReplyDeleteThank you to all! I hope you had wonderful Christmasses if you celebrate it. :) I enjoyed it, but am looking forward to next year when we can have a "real" Christmas. :)
ReplyDeleteThat and I reckon I had so much other stuff to do that I couldn't be bothered this year.
ReplyDelete.-= Sire´s last blog ..The Journey To Bloggersville =-.
Not even a sprig of evergreen with a teeny, tiny little bow on it? That sucks. I'll have to remember to be extra nice to you in 2010. What a drag. :p
ReplyDelete"cook you awake with bacon." I love that line. Nice post :)
ReplyDelete.-= Damien Riley´s last blog ..The Reason for Christmas =-.
Thank you, Damien! It's one of my most vivid memories.
ReplyDeleteOthers have said it first (and I almost missed this, due to the timing of your zombie attack), but "cooks you awake with bacon" is priceless. I love that line, too. You must use it in your book. The one you're writing, right? 2010. It's going to be a great year, in so many ways.
ReplyDelete.-= Holly Jahangiri´s last blog ..It’s the Dopamine, You Dope! =-.