A Few More Petals

‘O Tiger-lily,’ said Alice… ‘I wish you could talk!’ ‘We can talk,’ said the Tiger-lily: ‘when there’s anybody worth talking to.’

~ Lewis Carroll, “Through The Looking Glass”

So many lovely things happened that I wanted to share in my newsletter-esque post about December that I overlooked one of the brightest lights of the month — second Christmas. Although perhaps it’s better this way, as the importance of this year cannot fully be grasped without a bit of preamble, some further explication. I invite you, dear reader, to step back a few weeks in time with me — careful, that first T.A.R.D.I.S. step is a doozy …

Those who live in Michigan know all too well the hazards of residing here anytime after the month of September, when the winds grow cutting and immunity drops to all-time lows. It seems to have particulary vengeful tendencies toward any resident who dares to take a short vacation to pastures more pleasant. Unfortunately my parents — who are typically quite spritely, lively, and healthy — returned from a jaunt to Puerto Rico with an extra dose of “ick”. Said ick was so draining that they let us know not to expect a Christmas tree at their house this year.

Enter my Child #1 and their partner to the rescue. Upon learning of this cruel fate, they immediately reached out to Gramma and insisted on being the Tree People. As I alluded in my previous post, this incredible human somehow survived sharing some of my genes and a whole heap of my parenting to become one of the finest humans on the planet.

Behold the final product and centerpiece of our traditional second Christmas:

The day was packed with so much joy: all five grandkkids (my three and my sister’s two); the bonus of my brother-in-law, who normally is forced to go into the office this time of year; a wealth of nibbles, gifts, loving chatter, and my random resolutions game (I got “Appear on stage!” — how cool is that); and even a few rounds of a party game, before I had to dash off to a wedding later that same day.

As lives change, children get older (I’m getting older / too) and new obligations are placed on our shoulders, it’s lovely to know that we all want to move hell and highwater to take this time, to be together, and to know we are loved.

Not bad. Not bad at all.