I spent the night wrapping packages. I used local paper, recycled, it came from old dishcloths. There wasn’t much of it. It was hard to cut. I imagined wet hands. I liked that – having a history, something human, a bit of color. It made the gifts seem well taken care of in their tight-packed wrapping.
That’s really it for me today – thinking about giving, and what I’ve been given to get here. It all ends up in beautiful pink paper, even if it wasn’t so beautiful all the way down the line.
Coffee: Folger’sBreakfast Blend, Brewed by my Father; My Dad drinks coffee like it’s been prescribed to him; he brews it weak, two scoops for a 12 cup pot; I must have had five full glasses of the stuff; by pot two, he made it stronger, just for me; there’s no coffee that’s as good as the coffee your father makes.
My parents have this dog that’s shaped like a sausage that my mother wraps presents for every year. We toss them down the hall and she goes running. In half an hour, the house is littered with wrapping paper.
That’s Christmas to me: something full of energy that you expect to follow a toss.
Merry Christmas. Or Merry Winter. Whether it’s with friends, family, or at home alone with a good book, I hope you got to have fun unwrapping your plans for the day. Maybe you even surprised yourself a little. And if it’s messy – if there’s paper everywhere, or if the day tore you up in it’s teeth despite the safe veneer we all expect of the holidays – then don’t worry about picking it up right now. Catch your breath. Do whatever you have to to take care of yourself.
Not every person or every family can find joy. The world’s not fair. But everyone can look inside themselves and see something worth opening. Every time you take a breath you’re proving something valuable. And I’m glad I live in a world full of so many curious persons full of curious things.
Thank you. Happy holidays.
Novel Count: 5,924
Currently Reading: Nothing! Will pick a new book after the holidays.
