Does Santa Visit an Empty Nest?

It’s Christmas eve

The empty nest really hits bad. When I say empty nest, it is just not children who left the nest it is also the elders who have moved on.

Then like the Grinch i thought of something I hadn’t before! What if Christmas, didn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

Growing up a small town which was very secular, Christmas meant homemade cakes of course home-made wine. Midnight mass with our neighbours since we were Hindu’s.

As we became teenagers we got into baking cakes, the traditional ones with egg, raisins and rich butter. But we experimented with coke, the kick was not baking an eggless one, the kick was the coca cola in the cake, then came the milkmaid one to get the brandy-soaked effect we would soak the raisins and tutti-frutti ( that was all we could afford with our collective pocket money) in coffee we would take to Manipal Bakery where “Shetty Uncle” would bake it for us. We had to take it before 11.30 am at 1pm the oven would be shut. We could collect the baked one only after 4pm…the oven had to cool before the cake could be taken out.

For a week before Christmas, we would practise carol singing. Not that it was of any use we were anyway off key. The fun part was all the houses we went to had goodies for us, cakes and munchies to eat sometimes even small trinkets as gifts. We would be sent off, ‘ go home before the street lights come on”

When my own kids came along, we were in goa. It was more community, the kids made cribs, they made Christmas decorations and greetings one parent or the other supervised it. It was their turn to bake the cake we had the undercooked ones, burnt ones the works… and the plum cake too. They practised the nativity play they were part of the Cabesa Wado float.

For New Year we went home to Manipal to my parents, Susamma aunty would have her home made cake for the children.

Now we are the elders, there are no young ones creating the noise, no giggling teenagers. No more burnt cake excitement no more plum cakes. Neither is the Navaratri Gollu there, nor is the Christmas lunch.

My daughter Tee had told her younger sister Jay… that every time she made people laugh a fairy would be born. So, on advent for every fairy born, there would be gifts. Well both the Christmas fairy and Santa have forgotten their way to our house.

I don’t hear the bells on Christmas Day

or the old familiar carols play.

the wild and sweet,

the words repeat.

of peace on earth, good will to men.

Enough is enough it’s Christmas, and it spreads its magic. Softening the world cake or no cake. I received gifts in the Lord’s name, let me remember that he has given us the sun and the moon and the stars and the earth with its forest and mountains and oceans – and that lives and moves on them. he has given us the greenery, the blossoms, all fruits we quarrel over and abuse, yet to save us from our greed and foolishness, he came to earth and gave us himself.

Like scrooge from the Christmas Carol let me honour Christmas in my heart and keep it all the year. I will live in the past, in the present and in the future.  The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons they teach.

For now, its hope…I will go out and hang the Christmas wreath, the stocking and my Christmas fairy. Santa might just turn his sleigh down and gift me a hug.