Very Merry Christmas

This past weekend we had one of my favorite Christmas traditions: family caroling at Grandma's house. Every year we go over, get pizza or El Pollo Loco or something, open our stocking stuffers, and go serenade the neighbors with our Grandma & Co. ensemble (and all together, we actually sound pretty good!). Oh yeah, and let's not forget the after-caroling party of Christmas cookies and hot chocolate...mmm. Like I said, it's one of my favorite traditions, one I look forward to every single year.

Except this year, it didn't happen.

I mean, we went over to Grandma's house. We got pizza. We opened stocking stuffers. But there was no caroling to be done--it was pouring outside, and no one felt the least bit inclined to brave the elements. So we stayed inside, chatted among cousins, watched an hour+ of Grandma's Israel DVDs.

And you want to know something? Everyone was ok with it. In fact, it wasn't until it was time to go that I really thought about how the caroling, either inside or out, hadn't happened. Just being with the family was enough. Sharing stories, adventures, joys, hopes and dreams for the future. Laughing and planning and smiling and loving. And it was enough--more than enough.

Yep, family caroling at Grandma's is one of my very favorite Christmas traditions each and every year. But you know what, it's not the caroling part that makes it so great. It's the family.

The old neighborhood always looks so good each December
We say hello to the friends we can and can't remember
Then the handbells ring and then the children sing
And we talk so long that the fireplace is on the embers
You and me and all this family...

If Santa forgets us
The world will be fine
Let's put out those pictures
And conversate by firelight...
[Dave Barnes, Very Merry Christmas]