So we had a great holiday this year and I will not write about all the Christmas minutiae, but there were two things that stood out this year more than anything.
The first being our first ever excursion to church on Christmas Eve. We are not a religious family as my wife or me were not raised in a religious families growing up. But this year, Hudson started asking questions about church and God and we thought this would be at least an introduction to the subject. I was originally reluctant – not to introduce the experience to my sons – but for me to attend as somewhere it felt a bit like a hypocrisy to me considering my agnostic tendencies. Then I heard it was mostly about the singing of carols which I no longer get to do, so I said what the hell…er heck and decked my own fashion halls with boughs of holly (I wore a shirt and tie)
and ventured off to the 5:00pm service tailored to kids.
Yes there was singing, but there was also the story of the birth of Jesus by a lovely motherly minister surrounded by children dressed as Arabs or angels. Did my kids understand it? Likely not, actually for sure not with Tasman as he had to go to the bathroom (number 2 dad!) during the nativity scene. But sometimes exposure is enough to spur questions. Questions I will likely farm out to someone with more knowledge.
Second moment of epiphany was the amount of work Christmas is for parents desperate to keep the Santa magic alive. With a pragmatic 10 year old, the same one asking questions about God, asking the logical questions (how does he get down the chimney, how does he visit all the homes, do you believe in Santa dad?) and a completely sold six year old, there are a number of things that need to happen after they fall asleep on Christmas Eve. I was knackered, December is such a nutty month, so come 11:00pm, I was a wet noodle on the couch, waiting for Hud to drift off upstairs. Finally he did and Steph did most of the magic stuff while I soothed a very excited boy to sleep.
I applaud my parents for how easy and joyful it seemed growing up, never knowing all the work behind the scenes that needs to happen to pull this ruse off.
Both our boys woke up to house full of absolute joy, along with the half eaten cookies and half glasses of warm milk and tons of presents, keeping the magic of the big red dude alive, so our parents did a great job setting the standard.
Here is me and my mother on Christmas Eve. Thanks Ma!
