The Toad strongly identifies with routine and tradition (yeah I know – apple and the tree) and this is especially true around Christmas time. As this Christmas approaches we have many elements of the holiday season that will be different this year – our family will not be joining us this year, the Toad has outgrown the magic of Christmas and the belief in Santa and we have the joy of hosting a young man from Germany as he spends his first Christmas away from home. We are trying to sort out what traditions we will hold onto and what we can create new and special for just this moment in time. I am trying to hold my emotions in check as we chat about possibilities for our family celebrations and I am struck by the wisdom and bravery of the young.  I am very blessed to be learning from such fine young men.

Now we will just have to see if I can negotiate a later time to open the stockings  – last year it was 4:38 a.m. which seemed  really, really early.