Four Days Until Christmas

Four days until Christmas. The children are out of school for the holiday. The house is all decorated, most of the gifts wrapped and just a few more batches of cookies to be baked before the big day.
There are no ‘have to have it’ gifts on anyone’s list this year. I like that very much! No struggle to find that one desired item, no risk of disappointment and it is just a little less stressful all around. The girls are looking forward to Christmas for the sheer joy of the day, not just for the goodies.

I am looking forward to having most of my chicks back in the nest. It will be noisy, it will be crowded, it will be bliss. I know that the morning will dawn will smiling faces and small squeals of delight. Kindness will fill the room. Later, the aroma of the breakfast casserole will fill the air and then we’ll fill our tummies before putting our gifts to use.
Football will be the background noise of the day, too, but that’s ok. That means the men are home and for that I am grateful.
Dinner will be eaten in late afternoon by people too full from snacking on cookies and treats all day long. Sleep will find some, sprawled on couches and the floor. The room will be dark except for the glow of the Christmas lights. It will feel like the day is just about over.

Then someone will pull out a guitar and start strumming softly. Another guitar will appear and a voice will be added. Music will fill the house. Christmas classics, rock classics. Old and new tunes that most of know and some of us will learn as the songs progress. The music has begun and will continue until fingers and throats are sore from too much merriment.

It will end, reluctantly, but only after having given this family a wonderful night of song and memories. These are things I truly look forward to. These are the true gifts of Christmas.