Mom, my sister Jean, Dri (Jim's wife) and I took our kids to New York City this past weekend to get ourselves into the holiday spirit and out of the holiday melancholia...the huge Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, the store window displays, the indoor ferris wheel at Toys R Us, and of course, M & M World. The fact that we endured a blizzard, crowds, mood swings and the usual logistics issues associated with herding small children throughout this city had no real bearing on the task at hand--HOLIDAY SPIRIT, for God's sake!
I would say it was a great idea, but that is because I love New York. My son, Macke who is 6 years old, enjoyed it as well, although he evaluates the experience based on modes of transportation more than anything. Give him a train, cab, and subway ride, and he is fine. The rest of the group will most likely never set foot in that town again. Too much stress, not enough return on investment.
Throughout the weekend I found myself glancing over at Jim's kids, Adri and Louie. I deperately sought to see peace and joy on their faces in the spirit of the season rise above what was obviously missing from their lives...their dad at Christmas. Mom Dad, Jean and I were lucky to have Jim for decades, although the pain of his absence is excrutiating, but his children had only a few. They have been cheated out of a future of Merry Christmases with their Santa Claus. And they will live with the lasting guilt on some level for prompting Jim to make the fatal mistake of confronting the neighbor. I will always try to create peace and joy for my neice and nephew in the face of the unspeakable evil that will forever be entrenched in their memory.
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