So this year we had our first "proper" family Christmas... I say "proper" in inverted commas because while I have always loved our little family Christmases, a part of me has felt like they were not quite the thing... You know....the crowded table full of family and food, kids running wild, people having four conversations at once and a general state of chaotic happiness that I see in movies....
And so this year we had just that... My uncle, aunt, cousin, cousins husband and two kids, my mum and dad and daughter...all gathered around the groaning table.... wrapping paper shreds and misplaced wine glasses, snoring post-feast men and mums chasing over-excited kids.... And it was delightful and lovely... And I am so glad that we made the effort to relocate Christmas to another state so that we could experience this iconic family moment...
I am glad not only because it was a lot of fun and satisfied the urge I have had for years to experience a "normal" Christmas.... And am also glad because while I really enjoyed it... I didn't enjoy it significantly more than our usual peaceful simple celebrations. For many years it was just three of us, then four, with a couple of extras joining on different years along the way. And we have our routines and our likes... And we strive to fill the empty chairs with extra efforts and cheer.... And I love that too... And next year I am looking forward to another new and beloved face at our table, and so sharing a new family table as well...
So now I feel at peace with the ghost of Christmas... Whether small or large, whether our immediate family or the whole horde...Christmas is about love...and in our little family we have that in abundance... And that's plenty for me.
