It has finally arrived! The moment of Christmas Eve where nothing is stirring, not even a mouse. Everyone is in bed and at this moment, one can finally sit down and write half a paragraph without being interrupted. This is the moment where magic happens. A moment to reflect on the Christmases past and a moment where even as adults we hope to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus dashing overhead in the sky.
This is the moment where I can recall the true magic and joy of a childhood Christmas as brief yet intense flickers of my past come rushing back to me. Yes Virginia Santa does exist! He exists in the hearts and minds of all of us who can remember our childhood. He exists because everyone deep down really wants him to exist no matter how jaded and cynical they have become by adulthood.
This is the hour when one can stare at the tree and truly understand how wonderful life is. This is the moment when all the stresses, business and insanity of the modern holiday season come to a close.
This is the moment where I try and focus my mind to absorb all the wonder and excitement this brief moment in time affords. It is as a magic elixir and I wish to drink it completely without spilling a drop. My mind begins to wander to other things and I castigate myself for my carelessness. At this moment the world is perfect.
This is the moment when my childhood self returns to me and asks if I have stayed true to the adult I had always wanted to be!! Or has the passage of time dissipated my former selves so savagely that I can no longer remember, let alone keep these promises I made to myself so long ago!?
The good news is, I remember my childhood. That is to say, I remember the thoughts, feelings and emotions I had as a child. If I try hard enough I can also remember flickers of as far back as my 6 year old self. I can recall the magic of Christmas and at this moment I can almost make it come as alive as it was for me over 25 years ago. At this moment I harness the shadows and recall the joys of Christmases past so much so that I rip them from simple memory and they take concrete shape in the excitement and joy I bring to my own family and little boy.
As I sit here in front of the computer screen at 11:30pm on Christmas Eve I realize I must quickly press the “Publish” button so I can officially have this published on Christmas EVE! I write this to have a record for myself, to be able to look back and remember the magic of this night. I am at the age where I now know how quickly Christmas comes and goes and I feel that one of the most effective ways of capturing the magic of this night is to post. In this way I can look back upon the post and perhaps, as Charles Dickens advises, keep Christmas in my heart all year long.
Merry Christmas!
