Merry Christmas

It’s just after 7 Christmas morning. Nimbus (the black cat) emerged from under the bed when I turned the bed side light on a couple of minutes ago, Luna (the multi-coloured cat) will be waiting in the kitchen for treats that are maybe an hour away. Ziggy is at the end of the bed, her spot for coming on 15 years now. Clifford, the big dog, had his usual evening. Kicked off the bed to give the humans a head start on space and covers, he jumped up when we were sleeping (Clifford is smart) and won the cherished middle part of the bed by the time I woke up. Clifford is a big dog who thinks he is a small dog. Hilarity ensues.

Karen is sleeping next to me. She snores, but it’s a quiet, cute snore. I like to hear it because then I know she’s getting a good sleep. Karen takes less room on the bed than Clifford, is wicked funny and easy on the eyes. She’s way smarter than me and calls me on my crap, which is good because I need it. We have been married for three months now, this is our first Christmas as a married couple.

The kids are in good places, both get today off but my daughter works tomorrow. They love Karen too, so it’s been an easy transition save for organizing all the boxes, furniture, roll ends and remnants. We probably won’t have that straightened away until spring.

When I married Karen, I gained two more kids. They are like their Mom: smart, funny and kind. I’m looking forward to getting to know them better as time moves along. Kids keep you young, you know. It’s important to be in their lives, and to embrace the influence.

I’m feeling good this Christmas. I have beautiful memories of my life past, and will never forget those wonderful days. The human spirit is capable of many things, time and distance has allowed me to heal. I am genuinely surprised at my good fortune now. I found love and goodness in a moment of great anxiety and trauma. I am a lucky man.

I’ve tried this year, and will again next year, to find common ground with people who do not share some of the things I hold to be true. It seems to me that the differences we have, no matter how severe, should never reach a point where we allow ourselves to cross the line into what we know to be poor behaviour. i’ve often been told I’m too politically correct, but when you ease into those waters it comes at a cost.

I have people in my life that I loved and cared for before Covid, before the communication fault line became so wide, that I still love now. Compromise is not a popular word, but I don’t see much good coming from living our lives separate from each other, allowing anger and fear to fuel our verbal. The words we say today do not resemble the words we said 15 years ago. I’m absolutely certain we are doing harm to ourselves and each other by distancing from those with whom we do not agree.

So I’m going to start with the easy things, items we have in common and agree are good. If we can communicate on enough things, perhaps the jarring realization that we hold very different views on some things will ease.

We are human, we have way more in common with each other than we’ve shown in the last year. I’m going to try to make things a little better this year in my own way. I am tired of losing friends over what can be overcome in a quiet conversation. I hope you’ll join me.

Finally, call your Mom. Tell her you love her, and have been thinking about her. Make her feel special, she earned it way back when she was changing your diapers. When you’re done making Mom feel great, ask her to put Dad on the phone and do the same with him. The key word for me in 2026 is love. Love is love, no matter how it manifests itself in your life. Embrace the good. Merry Christmas!