“One
of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room
on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.” - Andy Rooney
Some families
celebrate Christmas by scurrying about from one relative’s house to another,
dutifully making the obligated rounds, while others have all of their family gather
in one place or another, together. Some open presents over a period of days,
while others wait ‘til the actual day of Christmas to exchange gifts.
For my own family’s Christmas, we,
my brothers and our families, all get together at our parents’ for our
traditional Christmas Eve supper of fried chicken tenders, shoestring fries, baked
potatoes, and salad. A huge platter heaped high with homemade goodies such as coconut
balls, peppermint patties, peanut butter balls, orange slice cookies, Hello
Dolly cookies, and fudge-mint brownies is dessert. And then once the table is
cleared, we move to the living room for what we lovingly refer to, in our
family, as ‘Christmas Chaos’… the opening of Christmas presents.
My Daddy is the ‘master of
ceremonies’, in charge of passing presents out, and within minutes the kids are
ripping into their presents, squealing with delight, the adults commentin’ one to
another about what they got each kid, why, how hard it was to find just the
right toy, and how great of a deal they got on it. During which, my Daddy is
still calling out over them all the name of the person to whom the next present
is for. Throw in intermittent camera flashes, an escalating noise level, and an
errant wad of wrapping paper thrown across the room from one brother at another
or one nephew at an uncle. And before you know it, 40-minutes later, the pile
of presents under the tree has disappeared, and the living room suddenly
resembles a disaster area. Adults and children alike are in the floor either
assembling toys or already playing with them. The mood in the room is light,
cheerful, and totally carefree. And from the wooden rocking chair where I sit,
I observe it all with quiet contentment.
This is my family, and I am so
very, very happy that they are mine, each and every one of them. I recall past
Christmases and family members who are now celebrating the Holidays in a much better
place, and I smile. Of all the different family Christmas traditions… the one
thing they all have in common is the wonderful mess
of ‘family’ created in living rooms just like ours. So, enjoy it, and don't
clean it up too quickly.
Merry Christmas to all!
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