Ten years ago December 24 we gathered at our home following a cantata I directed at a local church. The house was filled with most of our children, my parents, my brother and a sister, significant others, nieces and nephews, and 2 grandchildren. You get the picture. It was certainly a little crazy with the house filled with much laughter and conversation. Wrapping paper strewn all over the floor and kids anticipating their next present with glee.

Move forward five years and the Christmas tradition continues at my home but looks so much different. My sisters and brother have taken their children and created their own traditions. My mother is no longer alive to celebrate one of her favorite holidays. Mike and I have added to the number of our grandchildren which now totals five. Our children have brought their significant others into our fold. Our celebration remains loud. My heart is content with the noise and chaos.

As the years have moved on we have been blessed with more grandchildren and seen our children bring new love into their lives and seen them lose in the love game. We are aging gracefully and with that we see our children doing the same within their families. They are taking on new traditions and the need to ensure that all sides of families receive time with grandparents, aunts and uncles or whoever it may be. So the silence is beginning to creep into our home more and more each year.

Silence is golden they say…but we are not yet in our “golden” years I hope?! So for now I willing or unwillingly have to find my way through the quiet of the holiday and a small gathering here and there of some family and experience the giggles of a small child opening a gift and soak in their little eyes glistening with anticipation and remember a Christmas not so long ago when the bright colored Christmas paper covered the floor and us as adults could not carry on a conversation due to the excited children playing with their newly acquired gifts.

Silent night, holy night. All is bright, all is calm…I guess I was not quite ready for the calm and silence quite so soon.