A new holiday tradition is born

A new holiday tradition is born

Today was my office Christmas Party. It was actually at my house, not the office. Anyway, the party started at two and ended earlier than I had expected. I was busy going about the cleaning and the putting away of left overs when there was a knock on my door. It seems one our number had been delayed by a family "crisis". He was hoping the party wasn't over so he popped in (actually I think he wanted me to know that he didn't just skip out of work early because of the party, but that's another story.) Being the kindly hostess that I am, I invited him in to pick on left overs and talk a while.

This fellow is a fun guy. He's from the Bronx so he gets a lot of my jokes -- like the one about Ray's pizza. He's built like a linebacker or whatever the biggest football player is. But he has a heart of pure gold and the ability to turn almost anything into a stand-up routine.

So he goes into my dining room to make himself a plate and he spies my family picture and asks about it. Four months before my dad died, we were given the horrible news that it was terminal and not even a stem cell transplant could offer any hope. So, my whole family gathered for the last time and as part of the weekend we had our picture done. As I recounted the story and told him who each person was... that's my brother and his wife; she was pregnant so that bulge is Rachel.... He listened intently and shook his head with sadness.

As I carefully put the picture back on it's stand he told me how his family does Christmas. He said before you can open a present you have to take each bow off the package -- one at a time -- and for each bow you have to say one thing you are thankful for. He said he puts five or six bows on every package he wraps.

He has a daughter about the same age as Elizabeth. He told how the first package she whips through the bows... I'm thankful for air and I'm thankful for water and I'm thankful for TV and I'm thankful for Christmas. But by the third or fourth package, she's having to really think about what she's thankful for... Daddy's hugs, Mommy's kisses, bed time stories...

He said that was his goal. To make each person in the family think about what they really have. After all the greatest presents is our presence with each other.

Note to self: Buy more bows for packages.