it's Christmas morning...

We've hit a new 'normal' as far as Christmas goes.  No little ones at home to ready the place for Santa to visit, no one at home now, to celebrate Christmas morning with.  They all have their own homes and little ones.  So, what does this new normal look like? BLAH! How does it feel?  Lonely, at best.

Everything is just 'off'.  We celebrated very early for our family this year. Recognizing that a lot of families do this, but, it was new for us.  Kind of threw me off from the get go.  It was a great time together.  Not dismissing that, but overall, it just threw off the balance.  The BIG hoorah!

Now that our kids are grown and have families of their own, their schedules have multiplied to get everyone in.  They are now doing the crazed, "gotta get to everyone's house" dance.  I'm glad those days are over.  But, it does leave a loneliness that we've never really felt before.  A new normal.

So, our Christmas Eve was spent in the quiet of our home relaxing and watching Christmas movies, while snacking.  No meal, just snacks, and adult ones at that.  Good quality cheeses, pickled asparagus and gourmet olives to name a few.  It was nice relaxing and enjoying the quiet.  But, it was a bit blah!  

So, we did what we wanted and opened our gifts from each other.  It started with new p.j.'s.  Then, we said, oh, let's open a couple more...then, what the heck, let's open all of them.  And we did.  

When my head finally hit the pillow, I laid there thinking of the first Christmas so long ago.  I think I was searching for the 'real' meaning.  Something of substance now that I could really focus on what it's really all about.  So, I laid there and envisioned what it must have been like.  The trudge, the fear, the angst of having a baby born in a barn.  Knowing that you were going to give birth to a king, knowing the way in which you were 'with child', the scorn of the world upon you.  Strange but all-knowing at the same time.

What must it have been like for the Shepherd's?  The Angels?  How did the inn-keepers feel after they found out what they had done? 

So, I fell asleep with visions of Jesus birth.  I awoke with the same.  Then this came across my Facebook page and I thought, this is what I want to share. I was inspired to share it with you.  

I think this will be my new normal... and, it's been here all along. Merry Christmas from me to you.  Beth