Christmas in New York

Outings are so much more fun when we can savor them through the children's eyes.
Lawana Blackwell

This Christmas we took “the kids” to New York City.
There was much thought and planning that went into this decision.
In fact, we even had the trip paid for by the time October rolled around.

Taking your kids on vacation is quite different from driving over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house. One child is organized and methodical; one child is a mass chaos creative genius. They’re both a little anal in their own realms. Which made packing a bit of a nightmare.

Isn’t it interesting how your children are a blend of the best and the worst of both parents? My bride has been packing for this trip for two weeks.

Mentally, so had I, I told her (and I had.) But it was 11pm on the night before we left before the final case was zipped tightly shut. And it was my Bride’s luggage that had to be “rebalanced” for weight on the sidewalk in front of the airport.

I wasn’t really sure I even wanted to leave the house for the holidays. The past two Christmases have been tough, first recovering from cancer surgery in ’05, and then still dealing with the after effects of all that in ’06. I felt that I was the weak link in the family’s chain for holiday cheer.

Then there's that whole cold weather issue, and the idea of intentionally traveling to a part of the planet where snow plows and road salt are standard-issue for Winter just does not appeal to me.

The weather has been glorious.
Cold, yes, but the weather outside has certainly not been frightful.

What I didn’t realize, and have been truly blessed to witness, is the joy our kids are having, running up and down the crowded streets, seeing the sites, and sharing their experiences.

You see, we also invited along the significant-others in our children's lives.
They’re not kids.
At 26 and 22, they’re their own adults.
But the true joy has been in seeing them in their completion with their companions, and the happiness the couples are sharing.

I don’t know if they will still be “couples,” or something more permanent by this time next Christmas. That’s been a warm-fuzzy notion to contemplate, but it’s not up to me.

So this has been a magical Christmas for our family, which seems about to take on a new, extended form.

The excitement and delight in their eyes as we wander the streets of New York has been the best present my Bride and I could have ever given one another!

So from our house to your's, Merry Christmas!