Everyone being home for Christmas

I’m just about to head off to pick Gemma up from the airport (she’s been away in Tenerife this past week enjoying a holiday that was awarded as one of the bonuses from her summer job) which means that Christmas is about to really start in the Milne household! I’m so looking forward to having all five of us sleeping under the one roof for a wee while and being able to spend some time all together.

I consider myself really lucky that the kids aren’t very far away when they’re at Uni, and we do see quite a bit of them during term time, but the Christmas break will be the longest that the five of us have all been together since September, and that’s really the most important thing about Christmas for me. Annie (our choir leader) summed it up nicely when she commented today on Facebook that “It’s not what’s under the tree that counts, it’s who’s around it!” and I just couldn’t agree more.

None of the rest matters. The rushing around for last minute stocking fillers; the kicking of folk out of the way to grab the last packet of parsnips; the panic that sets in when the presents are laid out on the bed and one pile looks too much higher than the others; the frustration at not being able to make your presents look all designer-wrapped with curly ribbon and matching tags and bows; the receiving of Christmas cards from folk that you’d decided to stop sending to, then guiltily scribbling a card and running along to the post box with it (knowing that they’ll receive it after Christmas Day and it’ll be obvious that you’ve only sent it because you received one from them); the dark hair roots showing because you forgot to time your appointment in line with Christmas; and even the shitty present you’ve bought for your hubby because your imagination badly let you down this year.... None of it really matters!

It’s an added bonus when all of that kind of stuff turns out well, but - as far as I’m concerned - the best Christmas pressie of all is just being able to spend a bit of time with the people who mean most to you; whether that’s just one person or a whole stack of people. It’s such a desperate time for people who, for one reason or another, can’t do that.

So, I’m thanking my lucky stars that I’m going to be spending time over the next couple of weeks with the people who mean most to me. And - even when the squabbles start, the ironing piles up and the dishwasher doesn’t get emptied - I’ll not be taking one moment of it for granted.

Edinburgh Airport here I come!