And so someone asked me...
"What was the best present I ever received at Christmas?"

I recall snowfalls on Christmas morning
The smell of Christmas dinner throughout the house
Our cats trying to reach the tinsel on the tree and open the gifts before
my brother and cousins had a chance to
My grandfather sitting at the head of the dinner table
fighting with me over who would get the turkey legs
My grandmothers arguing about each other spoiling the kids
and which is the better drink...a highball or a seven & seven
Seeing my parents relentlessly at work still preparing dinner after only
2 hours of sleep, refusing all help, and calling this ritual "fun"

The sights, smells, and sounds
the smiles on the faces of family and friends
I remember those clearly
But for some reason...
...I don't recall the presents

So now I look back
to try to find the reason why I enjoyed Christmas so
It was not because of the presents
it was the gathering of family and friends
Because one never knows when one will see everyone whom was ever close to them all together again
...Some have moved on
...Some have passed on
Having vacant seats at the dinner table
doesn't make it feel quite the same
Like a present given without meaning
or a Christmas carol sung without feeling
Sometimes it's hard not to feel as empty as the box a present came in, now thrown to the side

So I would have to say...
That the best present I ever received at Christmas...
...Was the last year I was able to be home at Christmas
when all the seats at the dinner table were full

12/22/2002

Posted on 12/22/2002
Copyright © 2025 Chris D Lavigne