The Holiday
It’s almost the quiet after the storm of Christmas, but my son and his family arrived last night, so the winds of gift giving and camaraderie will continue into the evening today. At its peak there will be thirteen people in the house along with the attendant laughter and chatter, wine, food, and more gifts. Personally, I’m a quiet conversation guy, but today I’ll mostly be a listener.
Yesterday morning was a good morning. The little ones were the main focus, but mom and dad, and grandpa did okay. There were cool gifts, thoughtful gifts, and funny gifts, and lots of wrapping paper to throw away. In the afternoon, the two kids, along with the dad and grandpa took a walk along with basketballs to play some hoops. Grandpa has forgotten how to jump, but he did okay as an observer and officiator. The kids played with more energy than skill, but fun was had and that’s the point.
Little ones and budding romances are filling in some of the gaps left by the departed, which is fitting. After all, the holiday is the celebration of a birth, so it’s mostly a joyous occasion full of the bubbling sound of life, while the pain of grief is left for quieter, personal moments and random thoughts about how much the departed would have enjoyed the goings on full of children and young love.