WV Hills

We made it back from "home" last night. Christmas tradition in my little family is that we MUST go to WV for the holiday. I tried years ago to only go every other year so that I could have some years at my own house with my little babes and the thrill of waiting for Santa. I was always outnumbered in my desire for a year at my own house, and off to the hills we would traipse.
At first I went begrudgingly. I had dreamed of Christmas mornings with my own children since I was a child. But my dreams were only mine, and I wanted more so to make my children happy, and off to WV we would head. I often said that I hated Christmas, it annoyed me so.
This year was different. Instead of forcing a family Christmas time on my little family, we waited to take everything with us to WV. I don't know if I finally grew into the idea of celebrating there or if it was that this year my children did not believe in Santa. Whatever it was, I felt happier and more relaxed at Christmas time than I have in a long, long time.
We visited with parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and lots of cousins. We attended church services with old friends and made a few new ones. We ate, opened presents, watched Christmas movies, enjoyed falling snow, and had a good time.
Looking out my parents' front windows, I noticed there are seven rolling hills. Each hill fades into the next, and without realizing it your eyes follow the slopes up to the gas well at the top about a half mile away. Those hills, rolling along smooth and rounded, are gentle reminders that getting to the top of the goal means going up as well as down.
I often grew tired and out of breath fighting my way through the Christmas Season, but this year I think I finally reached the top of the hill. What I gave up being at home with my children was finally blessed as I reached the goal of Peace at Christmas time.