Sounds of the Season

I just love the sounds of the season. No, I am not talking about the Christmas music that plays during the entire month of December. I am talking about the sounds that fill my home during the holiday season. Both of my girls are grown and have homes of their own. I see them both on a regular basis...but surprisingly, I don't see them a lot when we are all together. I see some of my family members at different times during the year, but hardly ever at the same time. The same thing with my in-law family. Christmas brings us all ( most of them anyway ) together for some food, fun, fellowship, and gift giving. It is the one time of year that all our schedules are in sync and time is set aside for family. My favorite part of our get-togethers is not the eating ( seriously ) and not the gift giving. It is the time we sit around afterwards just talking. Reminiscing about memories made with our families. Jokes that outsiders would not find funny or even get because they are not part of the memory. Not only that, but we are making new memories that we will remember at a later date.

The time I cherish the most is on Christmas morning. I love this time when my girls come over and after eating breakfast and exchanging gifts, we all sit around and talk...and laugh. I normally have to make the girls stop talking and get ready for Christmas lunch. While I am scurrying around trying to get the living room back in order, the girls will get ready in the bathroom. I can hear them chatting away and laughing. Talking the normal girly girl stuff. Just a moment between sisters. That is one of the things I miss about the girls being home...of course it wasn't that peaceful when they both lived at home and shared a bathroom. But some of those times are memories now that they can laugh about.

I read this somewhere and it is so true!

To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each others hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.

Christmas is over and the house is back in order. It is just little too quiet.