Happiness is . . . arriving safely at our daughter’s house, after a drive that took three hours longer than it should.  We needed multiple detours due to car accidents, one of which unfortunately had a fatality.  We were happy that our drive was uneventful and boring was just fine.

Happiness is . . . watching my daughter teach her Dad how to play the latest video game.  There was a lot of laughter and teasing, especially when she shot him in the back for getting onto the wrong team.  A few minutes later she discovered it was her fault he was on the wrong side, but he wasn’t adept enough to pay her back.

Happiness is . . . spending Christmas Eve playing board games with my daughter and her boyfriend.  Her boyfriend was patient explaining the game, The Settlers of Catan, and I barely won the first one.  The second one I lost in the first few minutes, but the third one was a dead heat between the three of us.  Once again, there was lots of laughter and lots of chocolate as we built our cities, blockaded each other, and tried to trade our cards for better ones.

Happiness is . . . eating delicious meals, which I am not cooking.  I’m cleaning the kitchen continuously and helping with what she need, but I’m not doing the meals anymore.  So far we’ve had stuffed shells, pork tenderloin cooked with cranberry sauce, and for today, a turkey with squash casserole and apple pie for dessert.

Happiness is . . . being together in the kitchen – her Dad and I are at the table (I’m working on my photographs; he’s reading his iPad) – so there’s still a lot of visiting and storytelling and we’re all together for another year.  Her dogs are underfoot as usual, alternatively getting petted and told to get out of the room.

We enjoyed opening our presents to each other, but the fun is simply in being here and being together.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”
Clement Clarke Moore

(From Twas the Night Before Christmas)

Holidays board games Christmas Christmas decorations Christmas tree The Settlers of Catan