Time together is a wonderful gift

A ray of sunshine is illuminating the nativity. The camels are placed so that they shield the shepherd and the holy family from getting knocked over by the cat. The wise men are on their own as I only have two camels. I have never understood why most nativity sets come with one camel and three wise men. Maybe the ones without camels arrived in a dune buggy? No, that’s just silly.

We never had a nativity when I was growing up. We had a silver tree that sat in the middle of the library table. Now I either buy a real tree or skip it altogether. This might be a skip it year as I can’t seem to get excited enough to get all the decorations out and displayed, then put it all away again a week or two later.

By now most of the shopping should be done. The presents that have to go to Santa’s delivery service have been ordered. I am doing something different this year. The teen who openly displayed disappointment at last year’s gift will be receiving cash from now on. I have a box of odds and ends that will go in the mail soon for the rest of them. None of it is wrapped. The kids, big and little, can take whatever they want out of the box. With any luck the loot will be evenly shared, if not, well, sometimes life isn’t fair and grandma’s shopping expertise leaves a lot to be desired.

Dr. Seuss said in, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” We seem to concentrate more on the trappings of the holiday than the reason behind the celebration. For me, Christmas is a party to celebrate a birth. It was the most influential birth in Christianity and deserves an over the top gala.

Some people celebrate by helping those less fortunate. That is great but what are those people supposed to do the rest of the year? When I was a kid, we depended on the church boxes to help get us through the winter. I swore to myself that I would never again be on the receiving end of charity.

The sun has gone behind a cloud. The nativity has not moved. The cat is perched on the back of the couch. Sometimes she falls asleep and then tumbles off the couch. She scrambles back up and looks around to see if anybody saw her. She needs her sleep after racing through the house like a crazy cat earlier in the day.

In another week or so it will all be over. The presents may or may not have arrived in time. The leftovers have been given away to any family member that will take them. Whoever hosted the celebration will heave a big sigh before they begin the return process. Things that can’t be returned are stashed so they can become a white elephant gift next year.

At some point we can reflect on the holiday. We may not remember who gave us what but we will surely hold on to the memories that were made when far flung family came together.

I guess I’m getting older because when someone asks what I want for Christmas, I tell them nothing. What I really want is the gift of time. To spend an entire day with them is the best present I could ever get. If that is not possible, then I would like another camel that matches our nativity set. We have looked, but so far haven’t found one. I guess the wise men will have to defend themselves.