It’s all gone now. The pretty tree in the kitchen with the sparkly lights filled with ornaments including one with my picture; the star shower in front of the house that lit up the wall with green and red lights and reflected off me when I went outside for my nighttime pee, all the decorations gathered over the years that are connected to people we love, some here, some gone. They are all packed up for the year.
There were parts of this season I loved. I got wonderful gifts from Santa Paws via Santa’s Reindeers and gifts from Cali and Hurley which we very much appreciated. And watching my friends play Secret Bub and Secret Paw and try to figure out who was giving them gifts was great fun.
And I love the cards. We get so many more cards than our parents do. They have the smiling faces of our friends on them. Everyday when the mail came we would anxiously gather around the table to see which friend sent us a new card or maybe a package.
But I am not sorry to see the season end. When I was young and Foley ruled the house we would have Christmas at our house. There were kids everywhere with presents, wrapping paper was piled up on the floor, human voices spoke lovingly and excitedly, and there was food. Lots of food. Some of it eaten by young children and inevitably dropped on the floor which was great for Foley and me.
The family has grown apart as some families do and now Mommy and Daddy go out during the holiday season. They go out a lot. Seven times in nine days they left River and I at home in our crates (except for Christmas when River escaped, maybe with the help from Santa Paws, and she ran excitedly around the house.) They visited family, each time with bags and bags of gifts that poor Mommy spent weeks looking for, stressing about, waiting for, and then wrapping.
As we get older Christmas grows less magical by degrees. Those little kids who ran around our house ripping open gifts are older now, and while they are grateful for their presents, their childish glee has faded. Mommy hopes she can live long enough to see them have children of their own and can see that childish glee on their faces during the holidays. That is the kind of thing that keeps humans young.
Between now and next Christmas we have a long year and we pray we don’t lose anymore dear friends although I understand everything ends. But I’m still hoping my family and friends have a healthy, safe and drama free year and next year, when I write this blog it will be how thankful I am for a great year.