Making Magic
I am sitting here on this snowy Christmas Eve morning in my living room, listening to the soft sounds of Christmas music, and enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and the sparkly glow from the lights on the tree.
For some, this is truly the most wonderful time of the year…celebrations abound, joy and cheer overflow with friends and family, the uninhibited giggles as little ones gaze upon the gifts under the tree ~ wondering if they will hear Santa as he magically slips in during their sweet slumber.
This day of the year has always been about magic for me… for as long as I can remember. Since my birth, I believe there was only a single Christmas Eve that was not spent at Grammy & Bumpy’s house. Mama and I would pack up the car, and the 90 minute drive would seem endless. We would pull into the driveway, and it was as if mother nature had created the scene straight out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. The enormous pine trees beautifully flocked with crystal snow… the horses in the pasture, who would run along the fence as we drove in, their winter coats thick and full, the lights in the trees in the front the the house, all leading up the moment when the front door would open wide when they saw us drive in, and the smells of Christmas, and family, and Tradition would envelop me in a the warm hugs of their arms.
After church, the rest of our family would come back to the house, uncles and aunties and cousins….our family tradition on Christmas Eve has always been Hors d’Oeuvres for our meal, usually a little champagne toast, and wonderful conversation and laughter as we catch up and talk about what is happening in our lives, the world, and reminisce about things we remember from when we were young….
When the excitement was too much to bear any longer, we would all move to the living room and the fire would crackle, and we would say a prayer, or read a special story, and then, the sounds of paper tearing and squeals of excitement filled the house.
On Christmas morning, when I was a little girl, Bumpy would take me up on the roof (it was flat!), and to my amazement there were always sleigh tracks, tiny hoof prints and either a tiny little halter or a jingle bell or two that was “left behind”….. That, was pure MAGIC.
As a mommy, it makes my heart full to pass on some of that magic to my little girl…. wouldn’t you know ~ last year, “Donner” happened to “throw a shoe” when Santa’s sleigh landed on our deck…. thankfully, it was covered with magic Christmas glitter, and it caught Madi’s eye glistening in the sun.
I know that for some, this is the hardest time of year, missing loved ones who are no longer with us, longing for tradition and connection but spending the holidays alone, grieving the loss of a marriage and feeling as though there is an empty space in their heart. It is for you, I share this next wish….Know that those who are not here are here in spirit, and live on forever in the love that you had for them…when you look into the night sky, see them in the stars, as they twinkle and shine bright in the darkest dark, they are there…..loving you right back. When we give love, we open up our hearts to receive love. When we comfort another, we open up our spirits to receive comfort ourselves. When we create magic where there was none, we open up our life to see the magic all around us.
Wherever you are on this day, however you are spending this night, when you awake tomorrow morning, let your heart be filled with love, your spirit soft with comfort, and be present to the magic in your life…..
Merry Christmas from my heart to yours….
I am sending you love and magic
Always,
~R
