Okay, so you get the idea. It’s time for coffee and a deep breath. The kids are gone. In fact we are back to the little family that lives here. And, I am so thankful.
Needless to say it has been a wonderful holiday season for my family and neighbors. We enjoyed good company, good food, good wine, and for the most part good weather. What more can one ask for a fun filled ten days? Not much. For all we enjoyed I am thankful.
Oliver Sampling Dry Cat Food
Of course, some of us — including Oliver in his own way — were throwing hugs and kisses, waving “bye bye” to the granddaughter, and being mesmerized the license tag numbers as the last of the holiday guests departed.
Actually, Oliver was the most displaced by the guests. He wasn’t quite ready to be a pet and spent most of his time hiding in the garage — except for the little foray into the house.
So, to bring everyone up to date:
- I will be a grandma again in May.
- I ate too much, but so did everyone.
- No one really drank too much — although there was no shortage of wine and Christmas cheer.
- Everyone seemed to be happy with his gifts.
- The daughters-in-law expressed gratitude for all those spools of old thread. (And, they actually took the thread away when they left.)
So, today we are finding the quiet with much gratitude. There is little to do today except watch the Tennessee Titans play football — not that there is any good reason for watching except that it allows us to sit in a row and stare blankly at the television screen. I’m sure each of us will be lost in private thoughts cherishing the best memories of the past ten days.
My mother-in-law has proclaimed that perhaps I was waving farewell a little too enthusiastically as the kids and sister-in-law left. But, what does she know? She behaved as a “guest” during the entire holiday season. Of course, please do not think that I am complaining about that. She stayed out of the way. That was a good thing. I know I’m moving a little slower these days but I think she gets stuck to the floor with each step.
There are other signs of pending events. She talked of nothing but her first Christmas with her husband for the entire ten days. I’m quite sure those were good times for her. But, she has begun talking of a time that existed in the 1940′s more and more often, occasionally asking if I remember this person or that person — all people from an era before my birth. Well, I’ve been here before but there is no real preparation for our parents or parents-in-law moving back in time.
My husband and my sister-in-law are in a bit of denial at this point. I can’t blame them. I did the same thing when my mom moved back to the time when her brother was alive and they played together in the sand at the beach. Maybe it was the day she reached up and touched my hair that I realized she had left me. “I once had a daughter that had long thick hair like yours.” At least I was still a memory.
There is much to be thankful for this year. We had four generations together for a while. Everyone was happy and filled with the joy of the season and eagerly anticipating the new year. I tried to live in the moment. After all, that is all there is and for that instant it is all that matters. Maybe seeing the granddaughter that has grown so much since I saw her six months ago and realizing that time is limited with those we love made me appreciate each moment of the season — even that weird French cornbread recipe my sister-in-law insisted on trying.
For all that was, that is and will be, today I am so very thankful.
