Merry Christmas!

On this Christmas Day, I am grateful for this holy season that celebrates birth and renewal, and the spirit of love. I am grateful to work alongside HHH staff members who embody the spirit of love by providing care and compassion to our beloved residents on Christmas Day and every day throughout the year.

On this Christmas Day, instead of going to a large family gathering, like many others, I am spending a quiet day at home. Instead of the usual hustle and bustle, it’s a day when I’m quietly reflecting on past Christmases. One very sweet memory is the special Christmas cake my Aunt made. It was 8 inches high with multiple layers of homemade puddings and creams. It was her masterpiece and we oohed and aahed as each morsel of sweet ecstasy melted in our mouths. When we asked my Aunt for her recipe, she would tell us, “the magic ingredient is love.” If the true spirit of Christmas is love, then my Aunt infused her cake with the true meaning of Christmas.

As delicious as the cake was, the most special part was – my Aunt wrote “Happy Birthday Baby Jesus” on the top – and we engaged in the family ritual of lighting a candle on the cake while gathering round to sing happy birthday to the baby Jesus. The youngest child was given the great honor of blowing out the candle while we all clapped with joy.

Those seemed like simpler times, and since I was seeing them through the eyes of a child, they were simpler. This Christmas is different. It is almost incomprehensible how much the world has changed and how many lives have been lost in such a short time. Yet, during this time of uncertainty, loss, and grief, we have also experienced the miracle of babies being born. Each year about 140,000 new lives come into the world, each one bringing the promise of love and hope to a weary world.

On this Christmas Day, let us rejoice, not only the birth of Jesus, but the birth of each child. Let us celebrate the miracle of love and light that comes to dwell in and shine forth through human form in every baby that is born. Let us sing Happy Birthday to all the newborn babes and pray they too bring peace on earth, goodwill to all.

May the spirit of Christmas bring you and the whole world love, light, hope, and peace this holiday season and may it last throughout 2021.

Marianne DiBlasi, CPE Intern