Christmas 2019

My favorite part of Christmas is the magic of waking up to a fresh snow and twinkling lights surrounded by my kids and husband. It's the love of those moments that get me through. This year did not disappoint. 3 Christmases, plus our family Christmas morning together. No drama, safe weather, and smiles. Everyone got along, peace reigned throughout. There were tears, however... 

We went to Christmas eve mass, which is usually one of the most magical and fulfilling nights of the year. The second it started, my daughter began to cry. She was not hurt or sick, she was overwhelmed with emotions. She was crying for Jesus. She was crying for the sentiment in the moment. She was crying for all that the moment represented. It was beautiful. I held her and whispered to her and reminded her that this is the greatest gift we can never forget. And for that one hour, she sat on my lap, played with my hair, and held my hand like she used to when she was younger. All the stress of gift buying, wrapping, baking, coordinating, just drifted away. She needed me in the simplest form and I was able to help. There was no wrapped gift involved, no treats, no bribery or something special. It was just her and I locked in a beautiful moment and it was the best present I could have ever asked for. My wish for all is that the greatest gift they received this year was peace.