NO APP FOR THIS
Friday Dec. 26, 2014
Morning arrival, a couple of hours ago.
Not so you’d notice.
Dark, quiet outside – interrupted by occasional snow plow passes, clearing yesterday’s fresh blanket of white fluff. Parking lot outside my window unspoiled. Handful of guests all parked on the front-side.
Early waking/dozing, punctuated every nine minutes by snooze-button sounds, each time slumbering back into different trains of slumber-thought.
Memory – turkey feasting followed afternoon of cookie and candy grazing and goody-nibbling. Watching babes of all ages playing, laughing, memories and wishes mingled in a single room with every extremity of family present I am so grateful for that afternoon, happy to help a little, happy to enjoy a lot, unclear on some things and seeking understanding of others. Still, there is no magic show better than happy children with energy that seems to come from nowhere. Maybe it comes from love in that room.
However peculiar we – however convoluted our relationships, we combine, in that recipe called family, gathering for holiday meals which defies description or explanation other than to represent a combining of things that can in no other way be combined and we marvel/cringe/enjoy/fret and stare in wide-eyed disbelief as day unfolds. I don’t think we are meant to do all of that in one room at one time very often, so appropriately, it comes just once a year.
It isn’t glue or connective tissue metaphors – but simply, family. Everyone should be part of one whether we want to or not – because we learn so much about ourselves by watching ourselves.
Nine minutes later, snooze button again. Another nine. Again.
Life, so simple – no APP for this, but much appetite.
Mark Kolke
column written/ published from Hampton Inn, Fort Saskatchewan, AB
morning walk: -17C/1F, clear, calm and very slippery under-foot so a short walk followed by time on the hotel’s treadmill seemed the safer form of exercise to work off the lobby-breakfast of bagels, eggs and coffee …
Reader feedback:
Enjoy the day Mark, JJ, Calgary, AB
Merry Christmas Mark. Best wishes for the New Year, RT, Vancouver, BC
Merry Christmas Mark! Thanks for sharing your thoughts every morning ! Enjoy your family especially those grandchildren ! They grow up so fast! CCC, Calgary, AB
Hi Mark, The gift we most need at Christmas is "hope". Hope that the New Year will really be better than this one., DK, Edmonton, AB
