My Christmas Wish

I have been thinking about a “spirit of Christmas” post for a few days, but since I’ve been crying from the moment I turned the television on this afternoon, I thought now would be a pretty good time to think about something positive.

So here is my Christmas wish for my children…
Never unwrapping a present from Santa to find socks.

Snow drifts deep enough to build a tunnel to lay in and to catch air when you hit them with the snowmobile (not at the same time, of course).

A life long enough to accumulate the amount of ornaments needed to decorate their own nine foot Christmas tree. And lots and lots of twinkle lights.

Family gatherings that always include the phrase “remember when”…

     Remember when Charlie and Rachel ate all the Hershey Miniature candies?

     Remember when Uncle David was too lazy to wrap our presents so he dressed as Santa and pulled them out of a red bag instead?

     Remember when we had Christmas in July, just so the mulit-state Swigart sisters could sing Good King Wenceslaus together with the original lyrics?

     Remember when Uncle John and Aunt Cereal gave all the cousins matching flannel pajamas?

     Remember when Matt found out that you could hang a toilet from a Blue Spruce?

The ability to quote Clark W Griswald, Ralphie, and Buddy the Elf in a single breath.

Appreciation for Bing Crosby. (Especially when he sings Little Drummer Boy with David Bowie.)

Knowing that it has snowed overnight without even looking out the window.

Grandma’s chicken paprikash and Gramy’s Swedish meatballs for all eternity (preferably at the same time).

Never once ever acknowledging a minute possibility that there isn’t a Santa Claus.


Loving someone they only see at weddings and funerals as much as their friend next door (shout out to the Wortz and Myers families and my long lost roommate Allison).


Old friends.  A friend that shares her beef jerky in her stocking, and her Sweet Valley High books under the tree.  A friend whose parents adopt you as their own.  A friend who will flush a failed quiz down the toilet with you.

New friends. Friends made after you have your own children and realize you need the kind of support that only a fellow pre-school mom can give.  And beer.  And wine.

For all my grief around Girl Scouts, here's something that always tears me up when they sing it. "Make new friends but keep the old.  One is silver and the other's gold.  A circle is round.  It has no end.  That's how long I want to be your friend."

Because the more you can love and be loved in return, the less room there is for sadness and hate.

Peace on earth, goodwill towards man.