Christmas Day

This year I was completely without family to spend my holiday with. I had many wonderful invitations from friends to join them and chose to spend it with my friend CJ and her family. This year's holiday season has been weird without spending it with family. It's not been bad, just not the same. So it was with great pleasure to sleep in on Christmas day. I was good and did not open the gifts sent to me by family. I got up, pajama clad, knelt on my tiny bedroom floor and quietly opened my families gifts. I had a moment of self pity that quickly changed to so much gratitude to my family as I opened their wonderful gifts and I knew the gift were mere symbols of their love for me. I was so happy to be a part of such a good family. I missed them this year. I got ready and arrived at the Johnson Family Christmas. Presents were still being sorted through. David, the son was still trying to wake, but unsuccessfully he was dozing on the couch. CJ was amid a large pile of gifts with a small sticky note in her hand. It looked like a decoding key. It in fact was. Mom decided to change everyone's names to the reindeer names. The only problem was that nobody really remembered what name they'd been assigned. So it was in fact a key to the code. I helped to sort so CJ could take photos and open gifts. I learned that not only does the family have reindeer names, but multiple nicknames. I barely knew their given names, so I had my job set out for me as I tried to sort their gifts into piles. It was a pleasure to observed the sweet love this family has for one another. It was clear to me that the Johnson's family was build on a sure foundation of love. The most adorable gift was an old ski jacket, many ski tags still hung from the zipper as bragging rights. The gift, as it turns out, is regifted to dad every year. It is the ski jacket that he was wearing the day his wife fell in love with him, and it was quite clear the jacket still held the same magic, as she couldn't take her eyes off him as he put it one once more. It's really what the true gifts of Christmas are about. I was blessed to be a witness to the joy that comes from the bonds of family togetherness. I was grateful that they shared their day with me. Of course there was food and I left with a full belly.

I returned the next day to house sit, dog sit, cat sit for them as they traveled to spend quality time with a beloved matriarch during her twilight hours of life. Toddy and Jasmine were my protectors, sleeping by my side and waking me at the break of day. I'll consider myself privileged to have the moment to give back some to this loving family. Besides, dog sitting really is fun, especially with Jasmine and Toddy! I befriended Pirate, the skittish kitty. (call me the cat whisperer) I made good friends with Squeekers and Rascal. All in all it was a peaceful holiday.