Christmas 2009
12/23: The tree was trimmed. The Christmas village was all aglow. The train was running on its track, around the village it would go. The presents all wrapped, the cupboards were packed. The house was clean and shiny and the laundry was done. Nana was tired, but looking forward to the fun.
12/24: The kids and grand boys arrived a bit early, the weather they said would turn to snow and become whirly! The temperature plummeted from 50 to 9, a white Christmas indeed…it’s been along time. Long to be remembered the Blizzard of ’09.
The baby is down for a nap in the crib, we have one more thing to buy they said. As the door shut behind them out of the crib he did climb, not a problem…thought this little head of mine. Just me and my grand boys how sweet this will be. 30 minutes of kisses and smiles and glee.
Then what to my wondering eyes should appear, two little toddlers running wildly having no fear! To the tree one would dash pulling down ornaments in a flash. While the other snuck quietly out of sight…what was that crash? Honey don’t touch, those are Nana’s pretties. Let’s play with the toys…Hey who’s screaming? No, no, put that back, the village is a wreck, the train crashed into the house by the track.
Two hours had passed, the time didn’t fly…this Nana was exhausted and could only sigh.
The house in upheaval, there was dinner make, the boys were hungry, and it was getting late. Thank God they are home, a little peace I will get…but what was I thinking…they have had no naps. The little one tired with sippy cup in hand, plopped down on Daddy’s lap, for a long winters nap. His little tooth hit hard with no little tap, the G- force was fierce and it broke off with a snap.
Don had to go, had to feed his pup…but in the driveway his car got stuck. He grabbed the snow shovel, and started to dig. Those drifts were deep, they were rather quite big! Over whelmed with compassion (or disgust I am not sure which), next thing I know I was pushing him out of the ditch. Covered in white from my head to my toe, I shook my fist in the air…and loudly exclaimed “I moved to Oklahoma to get away from this snow.”
Visions of sugarplums faded from my mind, and I saw a new sequel that we could slowly rewind…Santa meets Tooth fairy on this Christmas Eve; this Nana’s gone crazy…who would believe? Jesus I’m sorry I’ve turned into Scrooge…I’ll do better tomorrow, my sin please remove. “Thank you Jesus for the warm house” I said, as I crawled into bed, and passed out from exhaustion as though I were dead.
12/25: Morning came in a flash, the alarm it did ring…Thank you Jesus for electric and all of our things. I started my day with my focus on Him, fighting the urge not to slip right back into sin. The first sign of life and away it all went…by 9am I was totally spent. The Hallmark Christmas faded away, but the truth of the matter I will reveal today.
The girls were cooking breakfast, the guys shoveling snow…we weren’t arguing and fighting as in years that had past, we all pulled together and got it all done fast.
We hugged while softly whining, showing compassion and love. His Spirit descended on us like a dove. We held hands, said a prayer, asked Jesus to meet us there.
Though we still struggled with the image of the perfect Christmas day, we slowly accepted that just wasn’t happening today. The memories we made as we all worked together. They will last a life time and they will make us each better. We all want the mountain top sparkling with snow, but it’s down in the valley He meets us to help us all grow.
Only God can take our messes, and turn them around to bless us. One day we’ll recall the Blizzard of 09, but with sweet memories and laughter is how it will be next time!
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