We opened presents, shared in jokes and laughter and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, built a fire that cooked us all here in the south (it was all in the idea that it would be awesome to build a fire) and then we cleaned up the mess of the packages unwrapped. For instance, we had a bag for used bows, a bag for boxes, a bag for trash, a bag for recyclables and a bag for ribbon that could be used again next year.
We examined our gifts, commenced to nap taking, watching T.V. or just lingering in the family room. We remained in our P.J.'s most of the day. The smell from the kitchen was overwhelming which eventually drew us all into this space. Of course, not many offered to assist in the cooking of the goods, but what did happen was the sounds and volume of music was turned up and the dancing began. Everyone danced to some very up beat tunes and shared in, once again, laughter.
The laughter of my family was finest Christmas present gifted to me this year. No one can box up laughter and send it as a present, it is gifted by those that you love, in situations that are unplanned and/or in the unconditional moments of life. It releases all sorts of endorphin's that temporarily triggers all sorts of benefits to your mind, body and spirit. Consequently, in our family, the laughter also triggers other series of other events, which I would like to call 'memories'.
It is in the memories that will be passed down from year to year, not the gifts that were wrapped, but in the experience of each other loving one another. It is in the vulnerability of opening up to one another in the movement of their spirit. And it is in the vulnerability, this closeness that brings about a spirit of family and more laughter.
After dinner the family gathered to make a Gingerbread house. There were two kids that were responsible to decorate one side and the other two were to decorate yet the other. There was honest competition among them and laughter. I stayed on the out skirts of their sticky mess and watched and listened to each of them, working together to create a magical gingerbread house. All in all, I was thinking about each of their gifts that they were bringing to the house. The youngest was gifting her spirit of excitement, the other was gifting her perfection, one was gifting her creativity and lastly, one child was engineering the house to remain in place for weeks to come before it is deposited into the trash can.
The spirit of teamwork among my children is also a favorite gift received this year. The teamwork and the gifts they share and their unconditional love for one another is reason to give Thanks. It is in teamwork, working together, living in harmony is something that God wants for us all. In having harmony, laughter, working together, we are able to do God's will. This, teamwork, after all, is a very clear statement in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 12:14 "Now the body is not a single part, but many."
It took skillful practice to create our gingerbread house and it also took a skillful practice to accept each other's differences and gifts presented that day.
As Christmas day has passed, I get to hold on to the gingerbread house for a couple of more weeks. I get to visibly remember the laughter and the gifts of harmony that were brought to my table to create this little candy treasure.
My Christmas gifts this year: laughter and harmony.
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