Tonight is Christmas Eve. You have both just gone to bed having done our annual routines. They are routines that we have done for many years now. It is those family traditions that bring the best gift that Christmas has to offer – the gift of gratitude.
Every Christmas Eve we sprinkle reindeer food on the path, put out mince pies and drink for Santa, settle down for Christmas stories and then, just before you go to bed, you each put a new bauble on the Christmas tree. There is one bauble on there for every year you have each been alive. This year I made you each a little hand stamped metal snowflake – with the year and your name on. This time we have an extra bauble too – one for our own little snowdog Harvey.
As each year goes by our Christmas tree has more memories hanging on its branches. The memories are painted on glass, stamped on fabric, carved in wood – but it isn’t the object that matters. Each time another bauble gets added it reminds us how lucky we are – another year as a family, another year to be thankful for.
So I don’t care what ends up under the tree for me tomorrow. I’m thankful for all of those baubles on the branches. Because that is all that really matters.
Happy Christmas my two lovely children. You are all I ever wished for.
