It's not about the presents.

December 2008

Seriously. Well, maybe when the kids were real little and were so full of anticipation that they made the whole house vibrate, then, yeah, having a bunch of stuff under the tree felt like something we had to make happen.

This year the tree won't have quite so much company. And just as I felt like this realization was going to hit me in the heart, I became aware of the fact that I was actually OK with it. We're still going to have a nice tree, with all the beautiful ornaments we've gathered over more than thirty years, and some fine meals, and family and friends around us.

I'm not going to lie - 2010 had some awful moments. And it still has a few weeks left; who knows what the hell else it has up its sleeve....but despite it all, at this moment, I feel inexplicably hopeful.