When I was a little girl I used to wake up in the wee hours of every Christmas morning and sneak out to the living room to open up my stocking. My parents knew I did it, and they were fine with it as long as it was after 2 or 3 AM.
Oddly, to date this is one of my very favorite Christmas memories. I would wake up automatically in the night and feel that jolt of excitement in my stomach when I realized it was Christmas morning—I’d check the time, and if it was an acceptable hour, I’d pad out of my bedroom to find the Christmas tree still lit and heaps of presents piled beneath it. Santa had come! And there my stocking would be—stuffed to overflowing right next to my sister’s. Sometimes my sister and I would even end up out of bed at the same time (she would usually wake up in the night too), or other times I would see the contents of her stocking spilled out on the floor and I’d know she’d already been there.
Most of the time I’d be alone, though, there in the dark stillness of the morning and the glow of the tree, and that was how I preferred it. I would slowly empty my stocking, delighting in the wonderfulness of each little treat it held. Then I’d spread out the contents around me, maybe eating a Christmas Peep or munching on some chocolate. I’d count the presents to make sure my sister and I had an acceptably similar amount (you know you did it too…), and then I would just sit there for a while, trying to soak in the magic of that quiet morning before anyone else was awake. I knew the house would later smell of cinnamon rolls and thick cut, frying bacon, and those beautifully wrapped gifts would soon reveal their mysterious contents, but my favorite part of Christmas was always those quiet moments when I sat all alone beneath that fragrant tree, anticipating the morning to come.
And now, whenever I sit in the glow of my Christmas tree, I think of those moments, and how they were the best of every Christmas, and how I’d love to pass along that tradition to my children one day.
So that is what I wish for every one of you, this year: an appreciation for the quiet moments; the ability to be alone sometimes, and to be happy in your own company; the patience to wait for the good that will come; and that feeling of magic you experience as a child but never really have to lose.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend… I’ll be back at it next week!
PS – If you didn’t catch it the other day, I’m now on Instagram! I’ll be posting plenty of pictures over the weekend, so look me up if you’re interested! Username jennistoryoml. :)
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