Christmas Eve is undoubtedly my favourite day of the year. There's a magic about the date that just hasn't faded through the years of my life - it's a wonderful mix of childhood memories, an intense feeling of homeliness, and anticipation of the day to follow. And of course now we have William in our lives, Christmas will take on even more meaning this year, and in the years to come. Home is the only place I really want to be, today and through the whole Christmas season - the familiar decorations, the soft furnishings, the smells from the kitchen - it's all part of my Christmas experience. Andy Williams sang a song in his 1966 Christmas Show which encapsulates my feelings of being at home over Christmas. The lyrics go:
You can tell when you open the door
You can tell if there's love in a home
Every table and chair seem to smile
Do come in, come and stay for a while
You almost feel you've been there once before
By the shine and the glow of the room
And the clock seems to chime, come again anytime
You'll be welcome wherever you roam
You can tell when there's love in a home.
And this is how I feel about my home, especially as we bring up our own little boy, for I am mindful that the way we celebrate Christmas in the coming years will be the basis of his own memories, long into adulthood. It's all about home, and it's all about family, so today I will light candles; I will watch my favourite Christmas film, Holiday Inn; I will lay out a tasty buffet for our dinner; we will watch The Snowman together; and I will read A visit from St Nicholas to William, for the very first time. Family will be firmly in my thoughts, especially Mum, who has to spend this Christmas in hospital, but will nonetheless be with us all day long.
However you best enjoy celebrating Christmas, I would like to wish every reader of this blog a peaceful, blessed, very Merry Christmas.
