We are very fortunate Jews; very fortunate indeed, as we are invited to a most amazing Christmas every year with our dearest friends. I wrote about this last year but I can’t help but post again about an evening that is so very special to our family.
Seated in one room were members of four families, one friend of the boys and the boyfriend of my girl. The ‘kids’ table was now populated with 14 to 20-year-olds!
As we all took our seats, the vision of all those young adults took my breath away. Some in High School, others about to go off to college, still others scattered in universities across the country, some about to go off on semester abroad adventures, were the finicky eaters and meltdown whiners of Christmas’ past. Was it not just yesterday that the girls put on their famous dance show in front of the fireplace while the boys bounced balls incessantly through the house? Did we not pajama the kids before we went home a few short years ago?
And it’s amazing how we don’t look a day older. (ok, we had a lot of wine with dinner).
It is never a bad idea to count your blessings during the holiday season. So much time is spent on rushing around to make it all perfect, when the truth is, by nature of the players it already is.
Thank you once again to my dear wife friend, Joanne, who makes a holiday like no other. Go figure that the skinniest, most fit woman I know would also be the best cook! She gave me the little framed picture above this post long ago and I keep in on my desk to thank my lucky stars for the day her husband brought her into my life (and believe me, he dated many women I would not have been all that happy sharing my life with, most of whom I remember and he does not).
I am doubly blessed to have a real family that I would choose anyway and an extended family of friends that I would throw myself in front of a train for.
Happy holidays to you all. Count your friends as your blessings for without them nothing is all that important.
Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at 50-Something Moms Blog. For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
i could cry but i don't have time 
That was beautiful. So much of what you wrote resonated with me. I’m a Mom of teens, too. So many of my friends online (and off) are young Mommy’s…nice to read some posts from women my own age. Maybe I’ll have to join the 50-something Mom blog group, even though I have a hard time admitting I’ve made it past the big 50! 🙂
Thank you Carole, glad you enjoyed it. I know what you mean about the young moms, it is one of the reasons I joined 50-something. There are just so many blog posts about little kids that you can read at this age without starting to get the been there done that feeling. Honestly, there are way juicier things to read when raising teens.
As an older mom in the throes of raising a kid at that whiner level, I love sharing in your visions of momhood, etc. The bumblebee photo is sweet and reminds me of a bodyworker friend who calls herself a bumblebee. She buzzes around the table, lights down on one area just long enough to create some relief and off she moves to another.
Thanks Margi, and I could use that Bumblebee friend of yours right about now!
Wonderful! I can truly relate to enjoying a less frenetic Christmas, and slowing down enough to savor the moments. You know your kids are growing up when you have to wake your youngest on Christmas morning.
Putting on a dance show in front of the fireplace?? Oh my, where does the time go? I do miss our dance shows, but also enjoy seeing how they’ve grown into beautiful, capable young adults.
Thank you for your beautiful blog.
Here’s to my family I choose.
Love you.
jo
I LOVE this post! We spend our holidays with friends these last 8 years. the kids fight and play like cousins. my family is spread all over, but I never feel cheated on the holidays!
And I’d forgotten about the old “pajaming kids” up before leaving. Wow, how did I forget That!