Dear Family,
From across this country and over oceans and continents you have traveled here to be together at this time of year. You have come home.
I hope you do feel at home as you enter this old house - the place you grew up in, grew from childhood into adulthood and fled to find your own paths. I haven't kept your rooms the same - times change, but I hope that when you enter through the door wreathed with native flowers that the spirit of love and joyfulness creeps into your hearts and you feel welcome here.
I have so many memories of our lives, of the tears and triumphs of your school years that felt like the best and hardest of times as we all raced and rushed through our days from drop off to pick up to homework and football and ballet. It seemed we never stopped until I tucked you in and told stories to your imaginations. The days when fairies were real and Santa was watching.
Welcome home, I have set the table with clean white linen and polished the silver. I know you think this old fashioned but the traditions of Christmas keep the magic alive.
Welcome home my children, the spare beds are made up and your children now sleep here too. Tiny hands again are holding mine. I will teach them to make shortbreads shaped like stars and you can open the wine as we put the angel on top of the tree.
I am lucky to have you all here, that we can be a family under the same roof for this brief time. Don't forget that love is what Christmas is all about, what life is really all about. Merry Christmas dear family,
love your mum, wife and grandmother
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