It is the day after our Christmas celebration and my heart is full. We were blessed with a house full of family, food and laughter. Children careened around the house–hyped up with sugar, a slew of new toys, and the raucous joy of playing with cousins; while their parents caught up (more quietly) with their own cousins and extended family. The final count was 18 souls, including both my brothers (a surprisingly rare event) and our still hardy and sharp-as-a-tack father.
Now it is the ‘day after’. The grand-girls (and parents) loaded up their SUV with a fresh and generous batch of new toys for the trip north. Grandpa Dan and I have slowly restored our home to it’s pre-granddaughter and pre-party state; more tidy, but infinitely more empty. We smile as we uncover a random doll shoe or forgotten action figure.
I will hold this day in my heart for the year to come. It has been hard to fully embrace joy in 2017; a year in which Americans began reaping the toxic fruits of greed and division, sown from the bitter seeds of the 2016 election. I am cautiously optimistic that 2018 will see a correction in our political landscape; and can stem of the tide of fear, hate and division.
Today, we bask in the glow of family togetherness. Those memories will serve as a reminder of what is at stake, and will fuel us for the days to come.