Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings that hung by the chimney were bare, and the whole family was sound asleep, exhausted, not quite ready to face the post holiday clean up.

We are grateful for another Christmas — Santa is tired, but he’s happy he was able to handle another Christmas.

Holiday eggnog, cookies, rich gravy, and a calorie overload have us afraid to step on the scale, not to mention the need for some antacid to calm an iffy stomach.

Then, there is the prospect of the returns. Sweaters that don’t fit. Duplicate presents. In our case, an enormous walker that was ordered in the wrong size. That was a tough one, since it wouldn’t fit back in the box it came in this morning. Guess I’ll have to run out to UPS and beg for their help.

But then, we settle down with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. We sit back and think about all the family gatherings, the joy of seeing the smile of that first great grandchild, the meals we were still able to host in our own home. Christmas afternoon: skyping or talking on the phone with far away grandchildren. Hearing their sweet young voices. Thankful that they are all healthy and well. And so, we decide it was a pretty good Christmas, after all.

At our age , we realize how fortunate we are to have been around for another Christmas. In spite of the inconveniences of old age—the creaky bones, hearing aids, failing eyesight, and a plethora of prescription drugs, we look to the future with optimism.

We’re not ready to take down the Christmas decorations just yet. In fact we may leave them up for another week or so, as we enjoy all our gift boxes of goodies and other thoughtful presents from the people we love.

Do you always receive a thank you note expressing gratitude for the presents you send to your grandchildren?

A HANDWRITTEN THANK YOU IS A SPECIAL TREAT

MANY CHILDREN TODAY ARE MORE APT TO TEXT A THANK YOU, RATHER THAN WRITE A NOTE

If you listen to women at club meetings and bridge parties, you’re apt to hear a lot of grumbling on the subject. Conventional wisdom says you should stop sending gifts to anyone who doesn’t acknowledge receiving them. But hey, wait a minute. Between the two of us, my husband and I have nine grandchildren, Some write lovely thank you notes, some text or email, and a few of them say nothing at all. Are we supposed to stop sending birthday and Christmas checks to the ungrateful ones? We must conclude that those who don’t acknowledge gifts have not been well trained by their parents—who happen to be our very own children.

At our age, we never know when some medical disaster will strike. So, before that happens, we want each and every grandchild to know that we love them. Who knows what troubles they will experience as they struggle through school, work, marriage and raising children?. Perhaps, at some low moment, they will feel cheered to think they had a grandparent who cared enough to remember them on every single birthday and at Christmas time. As a matter of fact, I went to a funeral years ago, and the grandson who gave the eulogy mentioned that his grandmother always sent him a birthday card, even though he lived in Japan and only visited her once a year.

Some of our grandchildren live nearby, and we see them often. Naturally, we will form stronger bonds with the ones who live close than with those who are thousands of miles away. Then, too, there are issues like divorce or in-law problems that affect the way our grandchildren feel about us.

But as long as we are able, we’re going to keep sending those cards or checks to all of them.

Tag: grandchildren