Christmas and New Year...a time for reflection...not necessarily good cheer.

What do I do at this time of year???
Spend it with family. Thanks for sharing your own childhood memories which could have soured you on Christmas. Denise gave you a new beginning. I'm pleased you also reached out to your brother and sister.

A time for reflection
You have painted a wonderful reflection of the Christmas time, Dave. I am with Denise with this...for us, it's the time to walk on the winter wonderland. No matter wherever I travel, I come home before Christmas. It's a season to spend time with the family and share the warmth! It's also so true that it's not about cheers all the time. Starting with food banks to charity, we do the best we could. It's a time for sharing after all. Thanks for the timely blog, a true reflection of our feeling.

Christmas with and without
My family will never gather complete for another Christmas (long story), but even that wasn't enough to stop me wishing like hell I was home for Christmas the years I have been on my own when living overseas. There's just something about that day that even an 'orphans' Christmas gathering can't quite replace. I'm glad that Denise worked her Christmas magic on you, and love the way you took us on the journey of reality later in the entry. Warmest of 2017 wishes to the Dancing Duo (and I hope you're home for Christmas this year!).

Christmas Reflection
It was a poignant blog Dave. You managed a fine balance of talking about the positive (memories of your own, your kids, what Den does to make it so special) while reflecting on all those that aren't so fortunate to have warm cozy fires & happy families to gather around. I, much like Den, love Christmas & always have driven home to our kids (now 11, 15, & 17) about the importance of family - the gathering together, breaking bread together, playing board games & just hanging out together with nowhere to go. I always invite anyone I know that doesn't have family to share it with & Christmas Eve is huge for us - friends show up, I make them play crazy games & wear funny hats (hey booze is involved so nobody refuses!) I'm fortunate to have a top-notch husband who goes along with this (plus hanging those &*^%$ lights on the roof at risk of life & limb in cold Canada). Anytime of the year is a good time to reflect but I agree there is a melancholy thing about Christmas/New Years especially for those that have lost loved ones. PS Al always did Santa's boot prints coming out of the fireplace much like your bitten carrots. Well done to you great dads! Happy new year Dave, and I always love your introspective blogs! Sal

Christmas
Very interesting blog Dave! Thanks for sharing your experiences and memories. For me Christmas is all about spending time with my family - frantic grocery shopping and then baking and cooking for three days only to sit together around the table on Christmas Eve and relax for the next few days... Without my family and in a foreign country Christmas just doesn't feel the same - as much as I have tried to keep up the Polish traditions and make some typical dishes during my two Christmases in Australia, it just didn't feel Christmassy at all... Still I have nothing to complain about though - like you said there are many, many people less fortunate... And many people forget about that... Wishing you all the best in the New Year!

Who doesn't love a bit of magic in their life
I love that you share little glimpses of the private you in your blogs this allows us to connect on a more intimate level, for just a moment. Celebrations/ festivals are important events for both communities & families in that it creates a platform to communicate, to feel happy, to feel connected, to share the good things - love joy, peace & goodwill to others & in doing so creates history with one another. There is much criticism directed at religion but one thing the great religions of the world bring is celebration & festivals & without them a vacuum is left. Alain de Botton Is a Philosopher & atheist & he too acknowledges the value these celebrations on a community level & within families. So for me Christmas provides the aforementioned all held together with a touch of magic & who doesn't love a bit of magic in their life ?

Christmas in Poland
Since we were in Europe, there was no way we were going to skip Christmas in Poland, so we planned our trip around it. Grant's and Millie's first real Polish Christmas! Even my granny was there and my sister came from Dublin as well. Nomadic life... Hmmm... Think we're up for it for sure! Here's to fabulous 2017!

A time for reflection
I'm glad Denise came into your life and showed you the happiness of Christmas. Glad you stayed home this year and enjoyed the nest. With your practice I can see the pull of traveling at Christmas and as long as Denise is with you it can be joyful. Always good to experience other cultures during holiday times. Reflection is good for the soul. Great writing Dave and as always you ask us to take a moment to consider what others are experiencing. Sounds like you created excitment for your kids as they grew up...very cool. I would have expected nothing less. Happy New Year to you and can't wait to see you again.

Happy New Year!
It is also a tradition for my family to celebrate Christmas and NYE at the beach. It's our version of White Christmas. Glad your Christmas changed and became fun when you started a family. I can't imagine Christmas without my big family. Cheers!