Twas The Day After Christmas.

Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the house.  Not a creature was stirring, not even Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet star.
Okay, I spent Christmas Day, mostly alone.  The son made a cameo appearance, just long enough to grab some Christmas dinner and proceed to his bedroom, with his collection of 'suspicious' looking friends and Penny the delightful dog.
I have discovered some advantages to spending 'Boxing Day Eve', sorry, Christmas, on my own.  For, I can sit there, let rip the most putrid smelling turkey farts and not go bright red, while protesting, 'Hey 'Uncle Bob', weren't me!  I didn't fart!  That darned dog has been at the turkey.  Smelly dog, that's disgusting!'  And, I don't have to be super nice to that obnoxious git sitting across from me at the table.  The opinionated know-it-all who has done what I've done, only twice as good.  That would be same butt wipe who smirks at everything I state, shakes their head in disgust and talks down to me in a patronising, dismissive manner.  Luckily, I do not encounter this, because if I did, I would be tempted to stick the remainder of the turkey down their big fat gob.
You may have experienced the joys of the yearly Christmas friends and family gathering.  You may watched 'Uncle Bob' and 'Auntie Sue' have their traditional Christmas Day argument.  There 'discussion' becomes so heated and personal that you wonder if it's actually Christmas Day.  Suddenly, you think, this feels more like 'Boxing Day', in a more pugilistic sense.   Then you look over at Grannie.  Good old Grannie, like she always does, proceeds to complain about 'those kids these days'.  'You know what dear? (you hate it when she calls you dear).  'You know what dear?  Those kids these days.  No manners and all they care about is getting gifts and the gifts are never good enough!'  Grannie then reaches over in front of your face, grabs the last slice of white turkey meat and moans about the gift from her son-in-law.  Of course, Granddad has hidden under the table.
So what have I learnt about Christmas?  I've learnt that I have much to be thankful for.  I realized, even more profoundly, that I have friends out there in the kind and caring family of bloggers.  That fills my heart with renewed determination and inspiration for a more positive world for all of us.  I've discovered that 'Jacob Marley' was not a reggae singer.  However, he did do a most notable cover version of the Diana Ross song, 'Chain Reaction'.   I figured out that 'Ebenezer Scrooge' and 'The Grinch' were okay dudes who were just a bit misunderstood.  
Christmas has come and gone.  I am determined to remember that, 'Humanity is for life, not just for Christmas.'