It was a special time over the Christmas holidays as one of our sons came to visit.  Just as when his brother was here in October, when our children visit as adults, it is a rare chance to connect with them on another plane.  It is a special and graced time.

Ben arrived on Christmas eve and we talked and laughed and reminisced about past years when he and his brothers were younger.  We ate old familiar family foods and just enjoyed each other’s company.

After church on Christmas day, we gave each other the gift of our presence and spent the day together walking the National Mall.  It was a gray day, typically winter, but not too cold.  While all the park buildings and visitor centers were closed, the Mall was still crowded with visitors.  Along with the usual stops and sights, Ben challenged us to find the Albert Einstein memorial, which we had not yet seen.  It is a beautiful sculpture to a brilliant man; humble and unassuming.

We returned home as the shadows fell and had our traditional Christmas dinner – homemade Chinese food from my mother’s special recipe.  The day was fun and holy and filled with grace.  I hope your Christmas was the same.