This site is six months old. Thanks to all of you who come to read and who comment in the forum, and who have written to me. Doing the entries is a very satisfying thing to me. I like the discipline of daily writing. I like sharing thoughts this way.

Merry Christmas to all who are observing the holiday.

In years past, I would have been in my hometown now, just having come home from the Christmas Eve service at my church. Most likely, I would still be wearing church clothes, and would be sitting at the dining table with Mother, having coffee and rehashing the service.

A part of the tradition of those years was wearing a long skirt, usually one that I had made for the occasion. After making several of them, though, I decided reruns were appropriate. This may seem like a silly tradition, but it meant a lot to me. I have always loved long skirts, and loved having a reason to wear one. Something about me has always loved to play dress-up.

I did not get that fondness from my mother; her tradition for post-church on Christmas Eve was getting out of church clothes and into her robe as soon as she could.

There was usually something memorable about the service. One year, the weather had turned particularly cold, so the ending of the service had taken place in the narthex (lobby area) of the church, rather than going all the way outside while singing "Silent Night." That year, the pastor's sermon had been about love. And it apparently struck a chord with a lot of people. There was more hugging in that narthex that night than there ever had been before. I think some wounds were healed, too. People were nicer to each other for a long time after that night.

As you go through your Christmas observation tomorrow, may any wounds you have be healed.