When I was a little girl, I waited every year for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to come on. In the early 70s it would be one of the last Christmas shows shown on TV; typically on either the 23rd, 24th or 25th of December. My brother and I would have to have our baths and be in our pajamas before my mom would make popcorn and orange kool-aid and sit us down in front of the TV in our living room with all the lights turned out except for the Christmas tree lights. It was the only time she ever let us watch tv in the dark. During the show, my brother would sneak over to the Christmas tree to shake all the presents, trying to figure out what was in them but I would watch enthralled. After the show was over, I would lay down under the tree and look up through the branches at the twinkling lights. I loved the quiet glow of the lights as I hummed the theme song to myself and thought about the meaning of Christmas.
Today is Christmas Eve and I am packing to leave bright and early tomorrow morning to go home to Michigan for the rest of the year. Tonight, after I'm all packed with my suitcase by the door for my 3:45am pick up, I'll take a shower, pop some popcorn, make some rum spiked eggnog and watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on DVD in the dark with nothing but the Christmas tree lights on.
Afterwards, I'll lie on the floor and look up at the tree and ponder the meaning of Christmas.