Vision of the Past

Our family traditions include get-togethers on Christmas Eve. These affairs enable everyone to share the season by visiting a different home each year. Several Christmases ago I was already enjoying a period of contented sobriety and we were heading out of town to my brother-in-law's country home. I was looking forward to a pleasant trip with my wife beside me in the car and our two children prattling excitedly in the back seat, even though the weather was a mixture of snow, sleet, and rain driven by gusty winds. In the warmth of the car, with the windshield wipers tapping a regular rhythm and Christmas songs pouring from the radio, I noticed there were not many people outside that evening. I had a vision of warm families shutting out the weather and enjoying the festive season together as we were about to do.