Opening presents together
The warmth from sharing heart-made gifts
A fairy-filled wander, discovering
Velvet green moss and bright red berries and wood-textured mushrooms
Making Abuela’s flan in a heart shaped tin
The alchemy of sugar into caramel
Following Abuela’s recipe to the letter and hoping she’s watching over me so it turns out right
(Don’t over-stir the eggs, you don’t want them scrambled)
The feeling when you turn the flan out of the tin and it’s perfection
And memories of over two decades of Christmases
And Sunday lunches
And her smell
Come flooding back
The joy of sharing the taste of home
Teaching Vi how to make fairy bread
And then indulging in my favoite tradition
Chinese take out for dinner
The hand-written sign on the door
Christmas is open!!! Monday is open!!!
The restaurant where we picked up the food filled with white-haired Jews
Who also, in a way, feel like family
I miss the Rabinowii
Watching two movie musicals in one day!
(Spirited and Across the Universe)
And even though everything is different this year
Feeling embraced
Feeling warm
Feeling at home with another chosen family