Well Christmas is over and done with for another year. All that is left is paying the credit card bill. Christmas was wonderful, had lots of family around both from my side and from Vi’s side.
Christmas eve was over at my brother Eric’s home, great food and even better company. Christmas day started off pretty quiet and slow for me. Vi was busy cooking, she is a wonderful cook. I always tell her, it doesn’t seem to matter what it is, if it comes out of Vi’s kitchen it will taste good. I was designated the task of peeling potatoes, turnips, shelling the eggs etc.. I am sure my professional potato peeling must have enhanced the flavor. haha.
About 3:00pm we went over to Vi’s mother’s home. House was just bursting with family. What a meal, there were so many different dishes to chose from you just couldn’t fit them all one one plate. Vi’s brother John flew in from Thompson, Ralph drove from Edmonton (15 hour drive). Christmas Day in the evening my daughter Shauna and husband Jake arrived as did stepson Rob and Vi’s other sister Joan.Debbie and Neil (yet another of Vi’s sisters) arrived with daughter Sarah. Turned into a big sleep over at our house. Vi had a great time with her sisters. They sat up until about 5:30am talking and reminiscing. I am sure a few glasses of wine were shared. Ok, I know quite a few glasses were shared.
Yesterday, Shauna, Jake and Rob were still here when my brother Eric, wife Lynda, my niece Sara and her boyfriend Neal came by. Another very nice day and evening. All, in all, I couldn’t really have had a better Christmas, well unless Billie, Bor and Sage had been able to come. But you can’t have everything.
I have taken some friendly teasing from various family members, “why didn’t you mention my name in you blog? I want to be famous too” Well, I am not sure about the famous part but I think I got in all the names, sorry if I missed anyone. I didn’t even try all the nieces, nephews and grandchildren, I could be typing for a week.
Why is it that it now seems like Christmas almost sets you up for a big fall. Through the Christmas season prayers seem more meaningful or heartfelt of something. I know that is wrong, all prayers though the entire year are meaningful, but some how at Christmas they seem more special or something.
In the physical sense, there is all the excitement, the build up, the anticipation and then bang, it is all gone in one day. Suddenly you are back to facing the realities or life or the real world. For me that feeling is like business as normal, happens every year. But, not this year.
This year I am determined to carry that special Christmas “glow” through out the year. When I think of it, why is Christmas so special? Answer to that is obvious, to celebrate a miraculous birth over 2,000 years ago and I totally agree if there is ever a reason to celebrate, that is it. The coming of Jesus to this earth, I can’t even find word to describe wonders of this event.
I am struggling with the wording here, to really express my thoughts and feelings the way I mean them. I can not describe strongly enough how important it is to me or how grateful I am to have Jesus in my life. His presence is so important to me on a day to day basis. I almost feel hypocritical or something. In my mind it seems almost like I am saying, Dear Jesus, I love you and you are so important and special in my life every day, but even more special on 2 days of the year, Christmas and Easter. That is so wrong, this year I am going to try to keep the special “Christmas” spirit alive in my heart all year long. The birth, a reason to celebrate, oh, yes but so is his existance in my heart on a daily basis. That will be my reason to continue celebrating almost as if it were Christmas every day of the year.
Going beyond the religious or spiritual aspects of Christmas to the physical. This is a season of good will towards all, loving gatherings of family etc.. All very wonderful and so special but why do we limit that to Christmas. I love my family just as much every other day of the year. I can show the same good will and cheer towards all, every day of the year. This year I am going to.
I suppose that is my New Years resolution. Keep the Christmas Spirit alive in my heart all year long.
Dying mans daily journal 
That sounds like a great resolution, Bill. 🙂 If I had to venture a guess as to why we feel different at Christmastime, I’d guess it has to do with having a giving spirit. We want to get people good things and, many times, we look forward to getting good things. It’s a time of hope unlike any other day of the year when we are just going through the day to day and it seems like there’s nothing special to look forward to. I suppose it’s in the perspective we allow ourselves to maintain.
I’m glad you had a nice Christmas. 🙂 Take care,
Mrs. N.
Dearest Bill.. How wonderful ! I cannot think of a better New Year Resolution. Yes hold that special feeling always. And Yes… why do we reserve Christmas Day for bringing family together. It should be more often. However, if we didn’t have Christmas…. would we bring family together even less often ? Scary thought. At least be thankful that we have Christmas.. and we make that extra special effort. Also special friends. We seem to have been inundated with friends popping in and staying over and sharing meals until we are oh so “stuffed” with food and oh so tired. I know in South Africa the heat doesn’t help as it is draining. But we are still overtired from all the social activities. So this year I am not going to leave it until the week before Christmas to suddenly get in touch with or have friends and special people over. I am going to have them all year round. And keep more in touch with those far away and not relegate it to the Christmas Letter only. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Let the Christmas Spirit carry on all through the year. God Bless you all. I am glad you have had a great Christmas. All our Canadian brothers were very much in our thoughts and prayers and also in our Christmas toast… “Absent friends and family” as Bryan always raises his glass to when he delivers his Christmas toast to us all before dinner.
May 2007 be filled with hope, happiness, love and light. The rest will all fall into place.
If I knew how to put a smily yellow face on this comment I would. I am not so great with the computer. So please just imagine there is one right here!!!
Love and Light to you all and to all the blog followers out there. Thank you for supporting Bill. He is the most adorable person and we are truly blessed to have him touch any part of our lives. May God be with you always.
Vicky
Dearest Vicky
So nice to hear from you as always both here on the blog and in your emails. Trying to carry something similar to the Christmas spirit in your heart throughout the entire year would be so wonderful, imagine if everyone was able to do that. Thank goodness it isn’t New Years yet as I have broken my own resolution, but hey it isn’t the New Year yet and I think I have my head and thoughts back together to carry on.
The birth of Christ is obviously a great thing to celebrate and I think we should always continue to do that. But isn’t his existence in our daily lives enough of reason to celebrate or at least keep the “Christmas Spirit” or feelings of good will alive in our heart thoughout the year. I think so and I am really going to try to carry all those feelings of love and good will as long as I can.
Vicky, if you feel you have been blessed in anyway by knowing me, i feel so touched. I can assure you, the blessings I have receive back have to be at least 10 fold greater.
You are in my heart, thoughts and prayers.
Bill