The Wreath is Still on the Door

Christmas day is past. Christmas is NOT done yet, but December 25 is past. I'm a firm believer that Christmas isn't over until at least Epiphany, which is January 6th. The Wise Men figurines are plodding their way across my mantelpiece towards the manger scene even as we speak. There are still candles in the window. The tree is still in the corner, occasionally plinking down its spiky evergreen leaves, reminding me to water it. There is still LOTS of candy in the house, lots of cookies, lots of "bad for you food" and very little good stuff like fruit and vegetables. I'm going to pay for this holiday for quite some time.

But we came together, the families, over the two-week time span. We laughed and smiled and drank and ate and laughed some more. We texted and Facebooked and Insta-something-or-other our friends until the batteries ran out on all our devices. This is the part of Christmas that fills my soul. This part nourishes me as no other time in the calendar. Even the blessed Sibling Reunion does not do as much filling up the "tank" as Christmas. I don't know why that should be. Maybe it's a vestal appendage from our father, like a sixth finger. He was Father Christmas to us. Gruff and rough around the edges, but at Christmas he was fuzzy and blurry. Loving as he was at no other time. Christmas is like no other time to me. Scrooge's are reborn at every turn and having a "Holly, Jolly" Christmas happens with very little effort on my part.

So ho-ho-ho everyone. And Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year, too while we're at it. The wreath is still on the door, the candy is still in the dish and the Wise Men are still making their way to their destination. Let's keep the good cheer going for at least another week!