In the company of children
Our son and his son enjoy their Christmas tree, December 2013.
“Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.” ― Robert Lynd
This quote sounds charming, but I couldn’t help but laugh a little to recall how exhausted Jeff and I used to be during the years when Santa would visit our sons. It always seemed that we were up half the night assembling toys, filling stockings and taking care of all the last minute preparations that couldn’t be done until the boys were soundly asleep. Just when we would think we were finished, there would be the dreaded “Hey, we forgot about ….” Even if we were entirely alive on Christmas Day, I doubt we were entirely awake!
Nevertheless, there’s nothing like the excitement of a child at Christmas. Our adorable next-door neighbor in Alexandria, who started kindergarten this year, was telling me with wonder how she went to see Santa, and HE KNEW HER NAME!! I told her that Santa was an exceptionally smart guy. Talking with her about old St. Nick was almost enough to make me want to sit down and write him a wish list myself.
Of course, Christmas Eve is the most magical night of the season, and I have such happy memories of the times during childhood when I went to sleep with “visions of sugarplums” dancing in my head. Even now that I’m an adult who is VERY grateful to be old enough to sleep soundly on Christmas Eve, something of the delight remains, and it’s still my favorite day of the year.
Today, I wish you the ability to see Christmas through the eyes of a child…whether your own young ones, your children’s children, your neighbors or friends, or the child who is still very much alive in all of us. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
One year ago today
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: children, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Tree, excitement, fun, holidays, imagination, joy, magic, memories
Defeat Despair 
Merry Christmas Julia. Thank you for providing magic throughout the year with your memories and thoughts! May 2021 be a year of unexpected blessings for you and your family!
Steve
Thank you, Steve! I hope you and your loved ones had a nice holiday, and that the new year brings you too some “unexpected blessings” (I love that!). Thanks for visiting – it’s always a joy to “see” you here.
Merry Christmas, Julia!
As an adult, I could do something that I could never do as a child: sleep in the living room with the Christmas tree!
It was like letting the magic soak into me all night.
Susan, one of my top five favorite high school memories is when one of my best friends and I ditched a party that was getting to be “a drag” (her code term for too much drunkenness and debauchery) and escaped to her lovely, quiet home, where we slept on the floor right under the Christmas tree in the sleeping bags we had been supposed to use at the party! Her kitten played gingerly among the packages and we talked late into the night, the Christmas lights providing just enough illumination to create an otherworldly feel of enchantment. I don’t believe I’ve slept under a Christmas tree before or since, but maybe I should try it sometime! At my age I’d need a sofa or a well padded floor, though! 😀 Thanks for sharing this thought. It brought a smile to my face and sweet memories to my heart!
I’d say go for it! I am certain that magic still awaits late at night, lit by the Christmas tree.