Christmas Gifts

The best gift I got this Christmas wasn't under the tree. It didn't even arrive on Christmas Day. I don't usually share much about how our day-to-day lives go, but most of you know it can be a little hairy sometimes. A lot of people, a few problems, some necessary boundaries - it's sometimes hard to keep it all under control. I try to capture the high points and to share the fun times we have. It helps me deal with the rest of it.

I imagine all of us have that wish for an Ozzie and Harriet kind of family life, even though we know it's an unrealistic expectation. Honestly, it would probably be kind of boring, and as we know, the Nelsons didn't even have it. One of my little secret sorrows has been that building our family the way we did, we weren't able to create that cohesive feeling that I share with Mom, Ed, Mike and Scott. No matter what, we always pull for each other. I haven't seen that in my kids. There may be very good reasons for it, but for my kids, it really isn't there. In some ways, it's like separate families living under the same roof.

But something's changed. It may be because of Christmas, but I think the effects will last. Christian and Mackenzie were so excited about James coming to visit, and with everyone trying at least a little, it turned into a grand visit. When James arrived, Christian hugged him so hard he lifted him off the ground. And James didn't mind. Gil put himself out to include Christian in some of his treats for James, which made Christian feel wonderful. Gil relaxed enough to spend a little bit of time just talking. He looked better and acted happier than I've seen him in a long time. He and Rosanne actually had conversations at the dinner table - and that is not at all the usual.

So the best gift I got this Christmas was family, and fun, and a feeling that maybe we haven't done a bad job at all. Wherever it came from, thank you!