Christmas Slippers

The fire is crackling in the wood-stove and the clock is ticking, but the house is quiet. Christmas is over, the presents are unwrapped echoes of the bustling morning excitement. And me? I’m just full to overflowing in love and peace. Normally I might sing or dance or play guitar, but tonight I sit by the warm fire in the soft glow of Christmas lights, pull my knees to my chest and pray. I tell my Heavenly Daddy about my day. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family that loves me, and friends near and far that care about me. Sure, today had its ups and downs; It wasn’t perfect, but it was spent with family and that’s what is important to me. I go to the couch and lay down, just letting the feeling cover me like a warm blanket and I gaze into the tree in the corner. It looks at home there, like it’s been there forever. Its boughs hold the weight of a lifetime of memories and I drift into the past. It feels as if the glowing pulse running in my veins has been tinted blue; a little melancholy looking back at what used to be and is no more. I begin to realize, not for the first time, how quickly time passes by. The clock keeps ticking away gently on the wall. Our lives are ephemeral, just a blink in the whole of time, and again I feel blessed to have the opportunity to enjoy these few passing moments. They may be insignificant and fleeting, but they are a gift from my Daddy and I want to cherish them for as long as I can; because someday I’ll be gone and so will they. I was going to write them down, to tell you about the Christmases we spent in New York at my grandparent’s house. We would go skiing and ice skating and come home rosy-cheeked to warm Christmas eve dinners; but the thing is, these memories are priceless. There aren’t words to describe them, and I could never do justice to the way they make me feel. The closest I can come is to say that I feel loved. These aren’t just memories, they are little hugs from heaven that say “I love you”, “Look! I love you so much”. Sometimes it’s hard to hear my Heavenly Father. Sometimes I’m not listening, but when I wake up in the morning and the sun is shining, I recognize that feeling; I have felt it before when I saw the sunrise on the beach with my dad, when I watched my mom doing dishes and the soap bubbles floated up and danced with the dust, when my sister came in my room and jumped on my bed and told me to wake up and see what Santa brought her; it’s the feeling of love, and I know He is near. Merry (day after) Christmas everybody!