Christmas Day open thread: It's about presence, not presents
Our own Rico came up with the title for this piece. I spent last night at my brother's house for our annual Noche Buena gathering. No gifts were exchanged. We stopped doing that ten years ago. We realized that gifts were not why we gathered together every year. Gifts were becoming an encumbrance, a dour duty where we rushed around stressing about getting the "perfect" gift. We were all successful people. We didn't need anything that we couldn't get ourselves. And what we really wanted to do was to just be with each other, in each other's company. We wanted to be present for each other. So last night over lechón asado, platanos fritos, and arroz con frijoles negros , we just sat around the table, ate, joked, and took pleasure in each other's company. I met my niece's new partner. I made arrangements to have lunch with my oldest nephew. I marveled at what a beautiful and poised young woman my step-niece has become. I marveled at what a good and loving...
