Feeling Admired And Loved At Christmas

We get together with the cousins at Grandma’s every Christmas
This Christmas no one thought the best ones were coming
The ones our age, the older ones, the “fun” ones.
We were stuck holding the squirming crying babies.

My sister was okay with it, but I was thrilled to see the older ones arrive.
We gave them lots of hugs and praises, glad Christmas was tolerable now.
The young ones sat around and listened to us old ones talk.
We were the wise ones, and we felt grown; we were twelve and fourteen.

I remember feeling those tiny one’s eyes on us, as we spoke.
They looked at us as if we were candy canes or gingerbread houses.
I felt validated, wise, and joyful in their presence.
I felt admired and loved.