Christmas Morning

For almost the whole time my kids have been around, and certainly since Mikey was diagnosed with autism before he turned three, Christmas morning has been exclusively our nuclear family.  For many years, we visited with Dave’s family, my dad’s family, my mom and her husband Vincent’s family over the holidays, but worked it so that Christmas morning, the boys woke up at home. In later years, it was easier for Mikey to stay home so my mom scheduled a visit earlier in December (to have the boys all to herself) and Dave’s family started a tradition of coming here the day after Christmas or soon thereafter.

Christmas morning became a peaceful, relaxing space for us to be together and not worry about working around anyone else. These photos, but most especially the one of Mikey coloring at the kitchen table with his tongue sticking out in concentration, perfectly express why I treasured this Christmas tradition.

It allowed me to sit with a cup of coffee, cinnamon buns baking in the oven, and just enjoy my family.  As parents, we spend so much of the time leading up to Christmas running around like crazy people. We send cards and gather up the ingredients for everyone’s favorite holiday treats. We shop and bake and wrap and cook until we are exhausted.  For me, this day was carved out for relaxation and rest, a day to be still and remember the reason for the season.

I am profoundly thankful for these photos and the many snapshots I hold in my memories of beautiful Christmas mornings together. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, from our family to yours.