While Santa tiptoes around the living room quietly, I spy my dog, Miles sniffing for the fuzzy new tennis ball awaiting at the bottom of his Christmas stocking. Even my calendar dog is excited about what tomorrow will bring. It’s truly hard to believe that Christmas has come around once again. In such quick time, my kids have grown into pseudo adults. I stare at the colorful piles of presents in the living room feeling like we are at a crossroads of time. I can truly embrace the theme of this year's Christmas card as I ponder the essence of our Christmas Past, Present and the Future to come.
At one time, big boxes of Legos and Playmobils covered the floor while now; small little boxes of techie treasures will fill their happy Christmas hearts. I think back to a year that brought about many of the adventures that come with adolescence and I know that if they are ok, then so are we as parents. To provide a healthy childhood for our kids is really the best gift we can give them. And now, sitting somewhere around the halfway point of life and child rearing, I cherish them more than I ever could have imagined. It doesn’t stop there however. I find myself using the word cherish a lot these days. It’s really become an important part of who I am. Every day, I cherish the man I see coming up the path after riding his bicycle home from a long day of work. I cherish the friends that have become close and those that have given me a chance despite my many quirks. I cherish good health and wish it upon everyone I know. I cherish my craft for the adventures it brings. No matter what gift sits under the Christmas tree, each one is born out how we cherish each other, and that’s more important than what is actually in the box. That feeling you get as you see it all unfold, is the real gift. Merry Christmas and may you have a wonderful time with your family.
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There is no better day to have a snow day then two weeks before Christmas. The kids slept in and I put some energy into arranging some of the Christmas decor and wrapping a few gifts. The tree sparkled beaconing for Peter to add gifts under its boughs after each gift was wrapped. As the Christmas music played, the house was keenly alive with the spirit that this season brings. I logged on to Facebook only briefly in the last few days and stayed away from the computer trying to focus myself on my family, the holidays and the things that I love most. This season can take its toll on people, but as the snow fell today it created a perfect catharsis and lightness of being. I took an hour to escape into the darkness with my camera. I pulled on my snow-pants feeling more ready than ever to look through the camera's viewfinder. Having photographed so many people this year, the old familiar landscapes felt almost foreign as they lay in from of me. It was a welcome reprieve to be alone with my thoughts. Only a flashlight and an open shutter created these photos. Sometimes I look back on my photographs not only for the image remembered but where my mind wandered while taking them. Perhaps the only thing better than a snow day, is a snowy night.
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July 2018
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