When my sister got married (many years ago) and there were suddenly two of our four siblings with out of town in-laws, my mother asked us to try to plan our holidays so that when we were at her house we were all there, even if that meant an opposite year where none of us were there. At the time, I didn’t understand her reasoning, although I agreed to her wishes.
Now I get it. Although we don’t yet have any in-laws to divide time with, our kids are in their twenties. They are transitioning from college to grad school to full time jobs–all in three different states. They don’t have as much down time at home anymore, and often their time at home isn’t the same time as their siblings. And that is why I am so very excited for this Christmas week.
As of noon today, all my little chickadees will be at home together. We haven’t had that since the end of July. Four and a half days of bliss for this Mommy who hasn’t always found her role as Mother one she slips into easily. And yet now that time with my little family–all of us together–happens so rarely, it is something to be looked forward to. Sometime to be savored.
Will it be everything I expect it to be? Probably not. My expectations tend to run much higher than reality. But even so, we will enjoy catching up, indulging in good food, and slipping into our time-honored Christmas traditions. We will spend time with our kids but they will also spend time with just the three of them. And I love that almost as much.
Happy Christmas, everyone! I pray you will find joy in whatever family you are able to spend time with this week.