boxing day blues.

Christmas was the usual pile of English chaos. It was good in many ways. The kids had a great deal of fun and are obviously loved children all around. I read a quote (I think on twitter) about the one downside of being married and having another family is that no matter what, someone is always going to be a little sad/missing other family. Of course that is not always the case for every single person for assorted reasons. But I do understand that feeling. I appreciate the fun that comes with experience of these English Christmases but I also miss my family and our particular traditions. (I had a good conversation with my sister in law about this.)

Christmas does seem shiny and bright from the far away eye of my memory. We had very little money but damn my Mom could conjure up a lot of joy and excitement out of very little. I am sure she was stressing through-out advent, trying to come up with presents, finishing up all the home-made stuff, and everything in between.

I hope I manage to make things shiny and bright for my kids.