Merry Christmas to all.
It was special to have the whole family around for the Day of Christmas celebration. It is like the cosmos aligned perfectly for a moment in time.
I am harkened back to my childhood days. The tavern where I was raised was always busy. At Christmas, festivities always increased in intensity. Lots and lots of patrons. Lots and lots of “drinking to the season”. Noise and laughter were a given.
And then there was silence. The tavern always closed at 6:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Up until the moment of closing, the bar room was packed. At 5:45, no more drinks could be ordered. By 6:00, every reluctant patron was ushered out the door. The theory was “everybody should be home with their family on Christmas Eve”. The selfish reason for closing was that our family could have our own Christmas…..quietly. A tavern without noise and people is haunting. It isn’t supposed to be that way. It is hard to describe the feeling walking around the tavern alone with nobody around. It was like a cavern of memories past.
Our recent Christmas was like that. Our growing family was all gathered in one place at the same time. The common theme was laughter. As I looked around everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves and sharing stories. The house was alive.
And then, just like my tavern days, everything was silent. And like the tavern, memories will linger and the day will remain special.
So thank you one and all and to all a good night. The silence is actually a good thing and besides, Santa is tired.
Love,
Dad