A Merry Christmas for Young and Old

A frosty winter evening in late December
In an East Bay suburb of California,
The shimmering neon glow of primary-colored lights
Shining intermittently in every ornamented, tasseled window
And on every freshly-wreathed street light.
In our comfy, festive home,
Three generations of a family –
Young, older, and oldest –
Gather for a sumptuous holiday meal.
The youngest ones, angelic and excited,
Later tear open their long-awaited presents,
Bursting with joy and anticipation
Over what they might be receiving
From their immensely generous family and friends.
The children’s fervent hope for much-desired gifts
Spurred from innocent letters penned to Santa
And other wish lists they were asked to write down.
Meanwhile, the oldest folks,
Those hardly-mobile, doting grandparents,
Watch the lovely faces of these delighted children
And wait for their own lavish gifts to be handed to them.
And finally, the parents’ generation,
With those gracious and kind-hearted aunts and uncles,
Providing helpful guidance to their sons and daughters
Amidst the flurry of gift-giving and excitement.
Generation after generation expressing
Love, laughter, excitement, and appreciation,
Together, yielding gratefully to an uncommon bond
Of familial strength and untouchable, hard-fought values…