Christmas Spirit

I sit here watching my twelve-year-old slumping over the piano in his piano lesson, noticing how big he is. He looks like a man sitting there, full-size, plunking out the new notes he is learning. And my heart is swelling up thinking about how much I love him…and wondering when he’s going to pass me up in height.

I listen to my girls upstairs playing “school” with their friends, glee shining through their excited voices…there is no school today (so they make up their own…?). We all bask in the warmth of Christmas…the lights on the garland going up the stairs, the fragrance of the Christmas candle wafting through the house, the weight of anticipation building each time they pass the presents under the tree…their fingers itching to unwrap that colorful paper to unmask what it is so deftly hiding.

Church whipped me into shape yesterday. It’s time to slow down. And sleep. And enjoy. I have the most precious gift I could ever ask for right in front of me…my family. And I better not rush around so much that I forget to “see” them.These guys (minus Lu) sang in church yesterday for the Christmas program. Heart melter even with one monotone voice shining through. Christmas Spirit begins to really seep in.

We delivered goodies to church teachers all piled in our car with Christmas music blasting and the windows down to help dissipate the stink of Lu’s diaper (forgot to bring and extra)…I watched all the kids lead Lucy gently up to the doors to yell “Merry Christmas!” and the Spirit leaked in even more.

We read my favorite last night before bed in the glow of the Christmas tree lights:
I only cried once since as we read there were three doorbell rings delivering Christmas treats. More Spirit.

And we’re off to fill the rest of this week with the Spirit, vowing we’re going to each do as many nice things for each other as we can to make that Spirit flood into our home and fill it to the brim.

Because this time next week it’ll all be over, and I’ll be sad, longing to cling to that warmth that only Christmas can bring just a little longer…