December 25th 2020

Today, against all odds, we managed to have the best Christmas Day for years. I think somehow, because we couldn’t do the big gathering tomorrow — meaning grandma and grandad had to come to my parent’s today — it meant that today was more of a big deal than it’s been for a while.

The obvious thing stopping it from being perfect were the people missing: the people you should be spending Christmas with, but can’t. Your loved ones who are having to spend Christmas elsewhere. But we still got to speak to them. Mostly.

Grandma and Grandad were round. Kirstyn was round. Mum nailed dinner. Grandad was somehow undefeated in board games despite not participating in a single one. Dad got a double Yahtzee. We FaceTimed most of the people we wanted to see today.

Somehow, it was all within government restrictions too. As a single occupancy household, I can bubble with my parents without issue. Plus Kirstyn, plus grandparents, is three households. So even though covid conspired to cancel Christmas, Christmas was delivered in style and in substance.

Until tomorrow, Merry Christmas.

Jacn