Sentimental Musings The Day After

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas day together. Like many, we had a busy one. Our family starts our day together by going to our daughter Amy's house before dawn so we can be there when the children wake up and come in the living room to see their toys. It's the defining moment of the day for me.

I loved seeing our excited grandchildren with their race track and cars, video games, drums and guitar. And I loved the fact that it's not me who has to live with those toys in the coming days.

We spent most of the morning there, then came back to our house where I took a late morning nap before going to my sister's house, about an hour away. This was the first time we've had our Christmas meal together at her house since my Dad died two years ago. It was a bitter-sweet time as we reminisced about our parents. I wore a ring all day that my Dad always wore. Maybe it was silly, but it was a silent way for me to acknowledge my parents on this special day.

As I sat yesterday, watching my grandchildren laugh and play, I found myself becoming philosophical about life - thinking of the Christmases when I was a small child at my grandparents home in Savannah, GA - of the great days in the house where I grew up and the many Christmases there - of the Christmases with my own children when they were small - and now of Christmas with my grandchildren. The reality of being the patriarch of our family now (that sounds better than "geezer") was heavy on my mind yesterday. I remember my Dad once telling me that life is like rewinding a cassette tape. When you first start to rewind it, the tape seems to move so slowly. Then the closer it comes to the end, the faster it seems to spin. Boy, oh boy, isn't that the truth?

My thoughts about the flow of life weren't morbid, but were comforting as I thought about how our Father uses us to impact the lives of those we love. Our legacy is that love we leave behind. As I thought of my grandparents and parents yesterday, it was their love that I remembered. I trust it will be the same with my children and grandchildren after I'm gone.

When we left my sister's house, we stopped by our friends, Bob and Sheree's house for a few minutes. I had bought a Christmas gift for Melanie that was too big to bring home so I kept it in their basement (- a jewelry armoire - for you men, a big box made like a decorative door with a mirror on front.) It's something she had seen months ago and had wanted, but I'd made her think it had already sold when we went back to look at it again. What I didn't tell her was that I'd been the one to buy it.

We visited with Bob and Sheree, our dear friends of almost 19 years, then came home where my sons and our youngest daughter visited with us until very late.

It was a great day - more poignant than many Christmases for me. The older I get, the more I realize the great treasure that God has given us in our family and friends.