Merry Christmas, even if it's a day late! I hope everyone enjoyed their respective Winter Holiday of Choice as much as I did. This year I refused to panic, I didn't worry about the dog tracks on the carpet, I didn't obsess about having the silver polished, and I didn't get upset with my family and their quirks, I embraced them. It was a great day, a great Christmas, probably one of the best. I am blessed, so very blessed.

But it was the first Christmas without "Santa" at our house, and that was a little sad. My son in his 8-year old wisdom "figured it out" this summer, and he embraced the "No Santa" reality with so much gusto he wouldn't even allow us to say "Santa" in the house, although I've explained to him that Santa is part of the magic of the season and we will continue to cherish it in our hearts. He gave me a look like, "You grown-ups are crazy, make up your mind."

But there were no cookies or milk for Santa on the countertop, on the special Santa plate. There was no sprinking of Magic Reindeer Food in the front lawn in the winter chill of a Christmas Eve. We even had to wake our son up at 7:30 on Christmas morning, instead of hearing him call out to us at 5am from his bedroom. It is a strange rite of passage, and I'm feeling melancholy about it all.

On the flip side, my son was thrilled with all his gifts, and somewhat reassured when Christmas morning proved to be just as much fun as when Santa existed. He is such a good kid, and we are so blessed to have him in our lives, because not everyone is so blessed, and my melancholic indulgences pale when I think about a tragedy close to my family.

A good friend of ours recently lost his recently-married son in a motorcycle accident, a senseless, useless waste of a young life, and it is so sad. We don't know what to say to him, we don't know how to help him and his family, we can only pray for them for the passage of time to heal their hearts. We can be there for him when he is ready, but I can't imagine what he is going through right now.

Death is never a pleasant topic to ponder, but during the holidays, it seems ever so much more sad and hopeless. My prayer is for everyone who has lost a loved one or friend during the holidays to find a moment of peace and comfort. A moment of clarity and thanksgiving in a memory that can sustain them. There is joy in the world to be found, but the struggle to find that joy might take a very long time, on a very difficult journey.

If you know someone who has suffered a loss or is alone this season, give them a hug, invite them to dinner, and share a laugh with them about the person they are missing more than anything in the world. By connecting and reaching out, we remind others and ourselves that we can stay strong through love, through bonds we create and keep, through gestures and traditions. When we keep the memories of those we love alive, it is easier to make it through the difficult times.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Peace Be With All of You. We are all Blessed, even though some of us ignore the blessings that stare us in the face. God loves us, and He will never leave us. Thanks be to God for our blessings, for each other, for our time on this earth.

Bunkie