God Bless Us Every One!

December 27

Images of a warm Christmas in upstate New York flood my mind as I reflect on the past two weeks. I am ensconced back at home in Fairhope, with temps in the 50's already and predicted to go to the 60's by the end of the day, remaining pleasant for at least a week. When anybody in New York, alarmed at the prospect of global warming, complained about the high temperatures and lack of snow, I just said, "I brought this weather with me!" And it looks as if it was probably a very mild Christmas here too.

I'll remember the excitement of the visit in the city, the fun of walking to a play one night (the soon-to-close delight named How To Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes), the new-to-me neighborhood called "The Ironbound" in Newark, and the hectic days of baking cookies with Alison and frantically buying gifts for the boys. Most of all I'll remember the grandsons at this age -- Elias turning 12 on December 23, and feasting at the Chinese restaurant with his friend Jonah; and Andy, growing tall and beautiful, now age 9, working on learning to play "Heart and Soul" with me on the piano.

I'll remember all their faces in the candlelight, and all the loving gestures and spontaneous hugs from those complex and lovable boys, and thinking, so many times, in the words of Charles Dickens at Christmastime, "God bless us every one!"