Magic remains

  Christmas isn't about the things you get, it is about the things you had. It does take a lifetime to begin to understand that completely. I'm still working on it. My lifetime isn't over and so I still have a lot to learn. They just had a mental health expert on television talking about about, about loss, and how it can affect you during the holidays. The suggestion being to work on your coping skills. Those skills may involve pharmaceuticals. Of course you can always seek a trained profession to guide you through. Anyone that has read my blogs knows how I feel about that. In my opinion, it doesn't require any training, a bartender or best friend can perform the same function. What you really need is someone to listen and to judge! Yeah, I know we are constantly being told not to judge, but that is exactly what should be done. That mental health professional, that is exactly what they do, judge your mental state. Then they either medicate it or have you committed. I suspect 99% of the time they just listen and take your money, You should continue therapy. 

 But back to Christmas. I remember as a child dreaming about the gifts I might get. Letters to Santa and hints left around the house. For a little while there was that magic, that belief, that a magical elf would indeed bring you the things you asked for, if you deserved to get them. That was the whole, you better be good thing that generally worked quite well for about two weeks before the big day. We all knew it didn't apply in July. Then we knew it was just a story but tried not to let mom and dad know we knew. That would give them an excuse and you might not get that gift you really, really wanted. But you could only do that one year and then it was over. Reality set in. You could ask, but you knew the odds based on a number of factors, of actually getting that present. Santa isn't a rich guy! It is the thought that counts. Yeah, it's a bit disappointing when you figure that out.

 Today I don't have a wish list or anything like that. When asked I just say, I don't want anything. I do enjoy putting out a few of my favorite things for Christmas, the decorations that have lasted over the years. Each one holds memories and I am reminded. I'm not sad about any of that, quite the opposite really, each one makes me smile. Yes, of course, I am pensive at times, I do miss those that shared the memory with me, but that is reality. One day I will be a memory; well, hopefully anyway.

 I have received many gifts over the years. How many of them remain? The material ones I have no idea about, but they would be very few indeed. But the gifts of Christmas are in reality the gift of love, of thoughtfulness, and hope. Those are the presents that we save over the years. Yes, it is the things we had that make Christmas special to us today. I remember them and enjoy them to this very day. They haven't gone away, I'm still here and life goes on. Santa still lives at the North Pole, that hasn't changed. The magic remains. The mystery remains. You just have to believe, that's as close as you can get to the reality. Does the greatest gift remain to be given? As I said, all you can do is believe. 

                                                                             

A tradition of mine is sitting by the Christmas tree on Christmas eve. All the lights are off, no television, no radio, just the silence of the night. I listen closely as the tree tells the tales and it is a comfort.