Fw: Christmas

[http://www.juno.com/~bhavaniowl]

It?s Christmas Eve morning in Maryland, distantly named after the mother
of Jesus.  Judy and I met Pat and Dave at the airport yesterday.  We
drove out to Mt. Airy together to spend the holiday weekend with Cory and
Sage, who live here now with Scott, his two daughters Ann and Meg, two
dogs and various cats, one of whom sits now at the other end of the large
red couch, scrutinizing my every move.  Soon the rest of the folks will
be downstairs to create our own special breakfast blend.

The night before last, Margaret and I went to dinner in Boston and after
saw a play based on the Dylan Thomas story A Child?s Christmas in Wales. 
What a wonderful night.  It made one nostalgic for a Wales in 1923 that
we?d never seen?actually, for us, it was nostalgia for winter Christmas
nights in Connecticut we?d shared with you, my cousins.  All of us and
none of us were on that stage.  We could readily see why Dylan Thomas had
to bring those moments back to life.  Remembered most were the kindnesses
and eccentricities of Mom and Dad, Aunts, Uncles and siblings.  It was no
way station on a long day?s journey into night.  It was remembered as a
child experiences it.  I was particularly moved by the warm, nurturing
relationship between the young boy and his favorite aunt.

Others are stirring now and I want to get this Christmas wish off to you.
We shared some magic moments as Christmas children.  Most of us played
Santa at one time or another, handing a first wristwatch to each
cousin--a Hamilton as I remember,--enjoying those moments as our parents,
aunts and uncles wanted us to enjoy them, and brought others into our
orbits, some of whom we married.

All of the adults knew the struggles in the world outside of the
Christmas gathering but, for the most part, those struggles were not part
of our experience those nights.

Tomorrow morning Sage will come downstairs for her sixth Christmas
morning.  Pat and Cory and I will have memories of 110 Richards Place in
the back of our minds.  We will do our best to give Sage something loving
to savor many years from now, when she is an adult and knows all about
those struggles.

In the meantime, I will think of Flora and Harold and Margaret; Lill and
Ray, Donna, Ellen and Alice; Harry and Doris, Pat, Nancy, Russell and
David; Wuff and Teddy, Billy and Kenny; Alice and Charlie, Ronnie and
Michael; Jack, Rose and Neil; Slim, Lucille and Danny; Rocky and Minerva.

Merry Christmas and I hope we see you all in the New Year.

Jim