Christmas is Over

Christmas is over.  The nest totally emptied yesterday when we took Erik to the airport to go back to Cambridge.  When we pulled up to Departures Area, we all jumped out of the car in one quick movement as though we were physically connected.  Erik gave me a big hug, said thanks and then he said “You filled the house with love.”  If there is one thing I wanted to do with all my actions and work over the holidays, it was that.  There is nothing more important.  It was a lovely lovely Christmas.  As I recall the busy days, my heart is filled with beautiful memories:  of the grandkids making cookies and decorating gingerbread houses, playing games, playing music, playing with each other and Liam building Lego.  I have wonderful memories of the many meals with all of us around the table;  of the many outings to local science museums, to parks, to the Botanical Garden;  of the hours spent in the shop making water bottle rockets.  I have memories of all special times and traditions but most of all just all of us being together.  As  I remember all the preparations, all the trips to the markets, I want now let that all go and just remember the love that the food represented as it nurtured us, body and soul.  Nothing was wasted:  the ham bone made split pea soup, the leftover Christmas roast went into a beef pot pie.  Love is never wasted.  Today, I will take down all the decorations and put them away for another year.  These Christmas holidays are very special for our family.  I hear Erika’s voice in my head saying she can’t imagine Christmas without being at Gramma and Grandpa’s house.  What a gift to us that they come every year all the way from Michigan, that Erik comes all the way from the UK and that Arne and Karna and kids and Summer dog come from Palo Alto all to crowd into our house for some days of togetherness.  I hope everyone felt the love that was so generously around this Christmas expressed in so many different ways.  That is the biggest gift of all and what Christmas is really all about.