So it's the day after Christmas. The presents have all been presented and admired; the leftovers have been distributed to help feed all the gluttons partcipants for the rest of the week, and the relatives have all gone home.
As every year, the warm glow of good cheer and fellowship with people you love lingers on, yet there is that creeping sense of "is that all there is"? starting to invade the idylle.
The anticipation is always better than the realization, and it's bitter human nature to dwell on what isn't rather on what was for some all too brief shining moments.
Friends, hold that shining dream for as long as you can, and realize that the best thing that can exist is a warm and caring circle of friends and family. The presents are meaningless except that they are physical reminders of that bond you share with some other human beings.
That said, I made out like a bandit! LOL I got two new shirts, a new pair of Dockers and a really beautiful sweater, and Mama and I share a brand new coffee brewer, that brews the coffee right into the cups. Erin and my Ex bought me a massage/heat pad that I'm certain will be worn out in short order due to overuse ;).
Mama and Anna bought me a full sized bull hide...a perfect Brindle, no less! I haven't quite figured out where I'm going to put it, but it is GORGEOUS! (damn, now they got me using Metrosexual terms; can a penchant for Starbucks Latte's be far behind?)
I "got" Mama the digital camera she's been wanting (she bought it before I knew WHAT she really wanted...at least I don't have to worry that she won't like her gift! LOL) an 8MP with Leica lenses...She also got a Zen Creative MP3 player (salesman said it was a better buy than the I-Pod) with a 4GB capacity.
The Princess Anna got a 1GB MP-3, a portable DVD player with a 7" screen, and a Gameboy Advance, along with enough clothes to last her a weeks worth of laundry. And she received the most fabulous present of all from our friend
Liz in Kansas City, an heirloom necklace that she had received from her mother when she was roughly Anna's age. The kindness, trust, and dare I say it, love, that was represented by that gift outshone all the others combined. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of it.
Yes, I made out like a bandit, I have people that truly care about me and each other, and what better Christmas gift can there be but that? It's the embodiment of Christ's message to care for one another. I hope I can keep that feeling close as the depths of winter brings it's cold and harsh winds to bear on the spirit of my soul. With that core to heat me, let Winter do her worst, for I have the strength to persevere until that joyous new spring.
Posted by Delftsman3 at December 26, 2005 05:30 PM | TrackBack