We hope that for all of our friends and family, Christmas day brings the culmination of the best things the season has to offer. We feel fortunate that we're able to see both sides of Billy's family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and as Nora grows, we look forward to establishing our own family traditions. The happiness and family togetherness we enjoy at Christmastime also makes me even more aware of the sadness I feel about the absence of the family members who are no longer with us. I miss my dad terribly, I wish I could be with my California family to endure our first Christmas together since losing Papa, and I'd like to be with my Oregon family to enjoy the arrival of baby Everett. But since I can't, please know that I am thinking of you all, loving you from afar, and counting down the days until I get to see you again.
For our little family, Christmas is about family, tradition, and kindness to others-- but most of all it is about love. Thank you for making us feel so loved at Christmastime and throughout the year. I am who I am because of the people who love me, and I carry each of you in my heart and mind all the time. Thank you for keeping up with me here in this space, for offering me your interest, support, and encouragement, and for wishing our family well in all the ways you do.
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These two pictures, taken one year apart, help me to see that over the course of one year so much can change and yet so much can stay the same. At 30 years old, I'm aware that I've lost more than I ever expected to lose by this age... but I've also gained so much more than I ever hoped to gain. It is so wonderful to be human, especially at Christmastime, when our humanity is on display.
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