I lingered in bed for almost an hour, the constant hum of the parade of cars driving over slushy Main Street held me there in a semi-sleep state. I was content in my cocoon of flannel sheets and woven blankets, but I smelled coffee. I think my Christmas Eve coffee will have peppermint mocha creamer. And I’ll stir it with a candy cane. And I’ll sip it from a beautiful cup. And I’ll nibble on a few sprinkled spritz cookies. And I will let my eyes fall on our collected-over-many-years Christmas decorations. And I will look at the photos of Christmases past. And I will sit with the memories-me in flannel pjs and pigtails opening my favorite gift as a child- a box of paper. Mom didn’t have much money, but it never occurred to me that that was the impetus for the gift. All I knew was that I could draw all year on that paper. Christmas Eve in Spring Grove, oh there’s a mixed bag of memories to shuffle through- memories of never being totally comfortable but also having fun, of books of lifesavers and red Santa boots filled with candy canes, of K-Mart sweaters, really loud adults that got louder with every hour/drink and even louder cousins, of TV trays and cats. Christmas eve with my dad- depending on the where and the wife, these could feel very fancy or very, um, not. One year we received towels- lovely plush towels in assigned colors (mine were green) and luggage- hard sided Samsonite suitcases in two sizes. Budris family Christmas eves- cousin gift exchanges and games of Risk and Grandma cookies and Santa visits and lots of Aunts and Uncles to hold littles. I will sit with memories of tree decorating, cookie baking, late-night gift-wrapping stocking filling and matching pajamas. And I will read the cards of Christmas present, grateful for family and friend connections that are surviving distance and time, that are renewed and filled with stories, that are new and building…
A friend recently shared a post about savoring moments, about relishing sips as if they were the best you’ve ever had. Or something like that. This coffee, coupled with these moments will be that. The best I’ve ever had. I’ve decided.
