lin·ger
1. to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave
This is the experience Jeff and I try to create for our family each time we gather. At Christmas, we prepare this one meal with several sides and always at candlelight. It’s our tradition. It’s our time to be.
Here are some words from our youngest:
A family’s Christmas traditions, whether adored or complied with, always bring people together. The most noteworthy Vander Voort Christmas tradition is an exquisite candle-lit dinner on the evening of our Messiah’s birth. We enjoy a filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce, and it is absolutely something to write home about. I regularly get a rush of excitement in the weeks before our beloved Christmas meal. However, what makes it so great is most certainly the wholesome conversations that follow. We’ll sit around the table for hours in joyful community as we nostalgically reminisce about fond memories and wonder about our hopeful dreams. It’s always sad to hear, “Well. Shall we clean up?”
Reluctantly, we remove the remnants of the meal only to immediately return to the table and laugh, cry, and love on each other for a couple more hours. I’m always thankful for the addition of another fond memory to my repertoire of good times had at Mom and Dad’s. As community is a necessity of the human condition, this tradition has a way of making my heart full. Only seven more days ’til my heart will begin to sing as we all take our seats at the table.
From all of us at Lifetime Remedy, we hope you and your families make those fond memories and dream those dreams together. Merry Christmas.