The Christmas season has changed for me since I was a child. Back then, all I could think about was what present would be under the tree on Christmas morning. And did mom make my favorite cookies. I have pretty fond memories of those days, but there are things I like about growing older, too. For one, I'm not doing it alone. The friends and family that I started out with are traveling along side me, usually carrying the same baggage. Maybe there are financial pressures, health concerns, or more serious issues, like living with teenagers while going through menopause, (God bless them and keep them.) Some may be empty nesters running through their homes with literally naked abandon, screaming the song 'Freedom.' Others have their noses wistfully pressed to the window,eagerly awaiting their turn. Either way, we're all going in the same direction.
It's a good thing, this mutual parting of the ways between parent and child. Children figure out how to do things on their own, nag free. They make their own decisions, right or wrong, and live with them, happy that the choice is theirs alone.
Christmas time brings all the generations back together again. Sure, there are petty squabbles, and it can get a little complicated finding room for everyone. But that's the real gift of Christmas. Being together again, and seeing all the changes in the children and in each other. Hugging parents who seem a little more frail each year. Standing arm in arm with loving siblings who have learned to say "wow!" when they see your new hair do, instead of 'What were you thinking?" Families are the best gift you'll ever get.
I remember watching Alec Baldwin during a Christmas episode of 30 Rock. He was bitter about his mother's ongoing relationship with an older, wealthy gentleman. As the episode continued, he realized that it had been the only way she had to get money to buy presents for Christmas. When Tina Fey's character asked him if they got any gifts, he choked up. "You couldn't see the floor," he said.
If our hearts are open, we can still see the gifts that we've received over a lifetime. When we try to count them one by one, we discover that there are many.
Our memories, whether happy or sad, are a gift. They are our Geographical Positioning System, pointing us to where we want to go in life. They remind us of all we seek to keep, and what we need to leave behind. Sift through them all, and count them. Hold onto the people you love, and be open to new loves and new experiences. Life has a lot of good things waiting for you in 2011. Next year at this time, if you count your blessings, I bet you'll find that they cover the floor.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah. I pray for God's blessing and peace on all the families all over the world.
