An Almost Perfect Christmas

Christmas has been a rather difficult holiday for me the last several years, but this year was an almost perfect Christmas. In fact, it was one of the most joyous Christmases I have had in the last ten years or so. What really made this Christmas so wonderful was a series of events that others would find less than exciting but too me made the holiday about everything Christmas was suppose to be about.

We had few Christmas decorations. Just a small tree in the living room and a couple of homemade wreaths with a bowl full of fragrant pine cones adorning the coffee table. The dining room had few homemade old world Santa’s standing guard on a side table, and a homemade clothes hanger tree my sister gave me on the china cabinet, with a home made center piece and candle holders decorating the table. The entire decorating took about 15 minutes. Somehow, these few decorations seemed to transform my home from ordinary to quite Christmasey.

Our main Christmas celebration was actually held on the 23rd. It was a very special time, as my one son and his girlfriend came for Christmas. It was the first Christmas Emo had been home in many years and it was a very poignant evening for all. It was made more special by his the girl at his side who, was not only a pretty little lass but whose heart was as warm as her smile.

My Christmas Eve was everything I could have wished for and more. As strange as this sounds, I got my most treasured gift from a friend, it was the gift of forgiveness. You see, I had made some mistakes a few months ago and had thought I had lost this dear friend forever. Though it broke my heart and saddened me beyond measure, I knew there was nothing I could do to fix what was wrong, no way to turn back the clock. Then, unexpectedly and out of the blue she approached me and offered her forgiveness. We both cried a little, and I think we both healed a little. I am not sure what those few brief moments meant to her, but to me they meant the world.

Then, that night my sister called from her home. Her husband has been quite ill and in the hospital for months. They were not sure if he would make it home by Christmas but he did. Since his health is so bad, I was happy for her, because he is now at and his health is such that each holiday they spend together is precious because it may be their last. Hearing the joy in her voice made my heart sing.

Christmas day, my husband and I had a quiet dinner, watched some movies, and took a nap. A very quiet Christmas indeed.

This years, there were no bright lights decorating our home, next to no gifts purchased, no abundance of Christmas treats. It was a simple Christmas filled with hope, good wishes, and love. Everything Christmas should be.