actually the dining room table since it's in roughly that part of the Dining/Living/Family/Computer Room of the Little-House-On-The-Corner.
I'm studying the Christmas Tree huddled in the corner about 4 ft away.
Nice tree.
Not all that memorable, but nice. Getting the job done.
Like that nice kid at Mickey D's who is fairly articulate, can count change without moving lips, and gets the order right.
A pleasant, somewhat forgettable and pretty much unnoticeable event.
No where close to the Christmases of yesteryear.
Those were the Christmases of the Sears Toy Catalogue, the "Wishbook" that tethered us to the floor.
Yeah.
Long hours with Sister Here and Sister There, turning pages, ohhhhing and awwwwwing at the brilliant pictures and not grasping nor caring about the fine, black print of the pricing.
We would linger FOREVER on the doll pages, the doll house pages, and the Easy-Bake "light bulb" ovens.
Then we would absolutely zip through the toy guns, the toy tools, and all that REALLY good stuff.
But we strolled through the bikes, sleds, and toy horses.
So it worked out.
And now it hits me.
I wonder where the wonder went?
You know.
That awe.
The excitement.
That barely suppressed squeal of joyful surprise as that flying, tearing hindrance of wrapping paper finally shreds to reveal . . .
The GIIIIIIIIFT !!!!!!!!
Yeah.
I miss that.
When did I start fixating on the little, black print in the Wishbook and ignoring all the brilliant pictures?
Huh.
I stand up and stretch.
My eyes sweep across the top of the piano where the Nativity Set resides, a gift to the Wife from the DAGU a few years ago.
And in the center of the Set is the Baby Jesus.
The Gift.
A Gift I have read, memorized, and listened about for many years.
All those years of little, black words.
Read with the joyless determination of a junior accountant in an annual audit.
I forgot the big, brilliant, beautiful Picture that bursts open every day at sunrise and cuddles me through the starlit night as I sit cross-legged on the floor, next to Him, and we turn the pages of Life together.
Huh.
I'm seeing Christmas through
"Kid's Eyes" again.
And I like it.
And talk about anticipation!
Wait'll we all get to His place and start unwrapping THOSE gifts!
Now that'll be a Christmas, eh?