The presents have been given out, the visits have all been made, and thankfully the holidays are finally over. In the northern hemisphere, daylight hours start getting longer after the Winter Solstice, December 21. The start of winter begins with the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, when the sun is at its most southern point in the sky. From then on, the days start getting longer. The solstice occurred on December 21, at 6:38 P.M. EST. I breathe a sigh of relief when this day arrives, because I know that spring is just around the corner.
I had a lovely Christmas and New Year with my family, but I must say, I love Thanksgiving and Easter much more! I truly love Thanksgiving because it is a day to reflect and be thankful for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon you. Easter is my all time, ultimate favorite. Why? Well, first and foremost, I love chocolate! White chocolate to be exact. We have this chocolate store in Gloucester, MA called, Nichols Candies and it sells the best chocolates ever. I try to stay away in order to decrease my caloric intake, but God knows, it is difficult. Each time I visit, they say, "Would you like this gift wrapped?" I reply, "No, I am going to eat it in the car!" Anyway, back to my holiday epiphany. In addition to chocolates at Easter, I love spring time. The flowers are starting to bud, the birds are chirping and it is getting warmer in New England. Most importantly, I am a Catholic and it is the most important holiday that we celebrate throughout the year.
I had the Thanksgiving Feast at my house this year. I had 20 or so family members which included my Aunt and Uncle, my younger cousins, my sister and her daughter, my parents and my three kids and hubby. My sister and I both shared in the cooking, and I must say, it was utterly delicious. "Like really", she and I are getting really, really good. There isn't any stress about this day, because we have it going on. The table was set beautifully, the fireplace was blazing, the shades were drawn to darken the room and create a certain ambience with the candles shimmering against the lovely floral arrangement, beautiful linens and the china and silverware perfectly placed. Our meal was buffet style and when everyone was finally seated I looked around the table. Everyone was smiling, they were chatting with each other and there was a certain joy that we were all together despite our hectic lives. My mom has Alzheimer's, but despite her ailment, sat there and enjoyed her meal. My dad looked very relaxed, he is the primary caregiver of my mom, and if you know someone with Alzheimer's this can be a very trying 24/7 job. He copes the best that he can. There are days where he wants to throw in the towel, but he doesn't. He has been with her for 60 years and he somehow finds the strength to continue. As I looked around the table, I was trying to think of something meaningful to say during my toast or blessing. I was reveling in the fact that everyone was having a wonderful time and the crosses that we all seem to bear were forgotten for that one afternoon. That despite all of our lives being so chaotic and stressful, for that day, it just didn't matter. I then in a loud voice said to my guests, "I would like to make a toast!" The table got quiet and all eyes were gazing at me. I slowly stood up, to get some extra time to gather my thoughts and say something prophetic. "I would like to say, that I am so very happy that all of you are here today. It means a lot to see you sitting here in front of me enjoying yourselves. That alone gives my heart so much joy. But, as I sit here, I have come to the conclusion that it really doesn't matter that the food is amazing, that the table looks beautiful, or that the linens are ironed to perfection. All that matters in this world, is that I am lucky enough to be here today spending this day with you!"
Each face at the table nodded in agreement. They raised their glasses and quickly returned to their delightful turkey dinner, their warm conversations and the happiness they felt that afternoon. In life, I have found, that the little things mean so very much! Happy New Year!
