It's 6am on Christmas morning and I can't sleep. This hour of the morning is not a stranger to me on this day. As a kid I would always be too excited to sleep, wondering if Santa had been and looking forward to opening my presents. I would be so excited that this hour of the morning would be no stranger to my parents either on this day, as invariable my brother and I would wake my parents up whispering loudly or moving around (quietly we thought, but I suspect more like bull elephants). I remember sneaking down to see the presents under the tree and being filled with awe and wonder at what seemed a miracle to my young mind.
As I grew older I learnt that Christmas was a time for giving as well as receiving and to this day I enjoy watching others open the gifts I have bought them more than receiving gifts myself. The look on their face when you have got it just right is priceless and I must admit that I get such a kick of seeing someone I love made happy by a gift that I have chosen for them. If there was a real Santa then I can truly understand what his reward is for doing his night's work and I am not just talking about the mince pies and assorted drinks left out for him!
However, no matter how central the giving of gifts is to this celebration, I think it is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas, which is not the commercial whirlygig of buying presents, but in peace and goodwill to all men. I remember learning about the men in the trenches during WWI coming across No-mans-land to meet, share rations and play football together on Christmas Day. I am awake because my family is divided. Since the death of my niece it has fallen apart and some upsetting things have been done and said. On this day, I am awake pondering all of this and wondering if our family can play it's own game of football.
I wish all of my friends in blogland a very Merry Christmas and for those who do not celebrate it, Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings, goodwill and peace be with you.
18 comments:
Christmas time, whether we are celebrating it or not, is always a time of reflexion I suppose for many of us. I wish you and your loved ones the very best.
Everything you said BK is spot on. Lovely written post too BTW.
I hope your day is a peaceful one...
A Very Very Merry Christmas to you and Bob, my dear....! I hope your family can come together on this very special Holiday!
Hugs To You & 'The Bobster'....! (lol...Just thought of that!)
Merry, merry Christmas to you and your family, Bob-Kat.
Most of all, health and happiness in the New Year. May it be a great year for you!
A very Merry Christmas to you, the black and white and cuddly one, your mum and dad, and all your friends and family.
How wonderful it would be if we could test market "Peace on earth to men of good will"-- and it worked!
Merry Christmas to you too!
Bob-kat, I hope that you had a wonderful day, family or not....LOL. All of us have family issues of one sort or another. I hope yours were peaceful.
Hope u had a lovely Christmas day!
My prayers for you and your family in the upcoming year. Obviously, there are no words which can magically set things right. Know that your friends are thinking of you.
A Joyuex Noël to you from french Canada...Your post was very eliquent ..I hope your family can get past the difficulties eventually..with time...
Wishing you a new year filled with the things you want in your future.
Hey Bobkat... :-)
Michele sent me to say Merry Christmas (again!) and to say I hope you had a good time.
Off to the Crazie Christmas this evening - should be a good night.
Glad you liked the photo of Little Bear...
cq
I love the snowglobe! I'm sorry to hear about the turmoil in your family. I remember reading about that incident in WWI and then Paul McCartney using it as the basis for one of his music videos - it showed the two soldiers (both played by him, if I recall) showing each other photos of their loved ones - and then when the shooting began, they scurried back to their respective sides with the wrong photos. Really put a human face on everything. Hello from Michele's!
Your recollections parallel mine, and 6 a.m. was no stranger to me on the Christmas days of my youth.
I sincerely hope your family can bridge whatever divides it, if for no other reason, than in the spirit of Christmas.
Michele sent me,
Mike
Michele sent me but I would have gladly gotten here on my own if I knew the way. She's like Peter Pan isn't she?
I love your Christmas memories. Mine involve my two older brothers waking me up to go down stairs first and when my parents would ask what's going on they would poke me and prod me to say it was me and all my idea to be up at 4 am and that would be all right with them. It would be too.
Those were the good old days. Loved your post.
I hope your Chrisrtmas was lovely, my dear B-K....And that SAnta was very good to you! And I wish you A VERY VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR, My Dear....!
Balls of Fury is out - looks to be a laugh [nudge, nudge]
The crazie one is 'laid bare' at the Palace today. How much will you know already, I wonder......?
cq
mid day on Christmas eve, a virtual sledge hammer came into the side of my ( emotional) being, throwing me for a bit of a loop.
i play acted through the dinner, and presents, and went home to lick my wounds.
feeling a bit better now,
Happy hopes for a blessed new year
Very nicely said. :) And that photo is gorgeous!
~S
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