One of the last times our kids were together on the island was Thanksgiving, 2018. E made the turkey, I made the pie. We spent the afternoon playing board games, with football on the TV.

Our Christmas traditions were pretty simple and also usually revolved around E making the turkey and me making the pie. Christmas morning breakfasts, for as long as I can remember, were croissants with homemade strawberry jam, fresh orange juice with champagne, coffees with Baileys. Board games with visiting extended family, rum and cokes and lots of food.

A favorite memory was the large extended family in the 90’s divided into two teams playing Pictionary in our living room on easels Papa had made the children for Christmas. There were endless loads of dishes running through the dishwasher long into the early hours of Boxing Day and leftovers for grazing all the following week. It is what Christmas was.

It goes without saying that this year is different. For all of us.

We are fortunate one son was able to work from the island and spend an extended time with us. There are no bakeries on the island, so breakfast croissants were out, but the island has an abundance of gorgeous, fresh eggs available. Eggs benedict seemed like the obvious choice. Activities will include checking the prawn traps and potty training the puppy. There will still be board games today, maybe some hockey, a whale or two and, as always, lots of food and drink.. We had a three hour zoom last night with all our kids and their partners and we played games on line. This isn’t what Christmas was.

It was pointed out to us by our friends John and Joy (and I am sure they won’t mind me mentioning) that the words to the popular Christmas song, written in 1943 during a time when families were separated, “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas “, are most appropriate again for us this year.

Once again as in olden days                                                                                                                                              Happy golden days of yore                                                                                                                                                Faithful friends who are dear to us                                                                                                                                     Will be near to us once more   

Some day soon we all will be together                                                                                                                                     If the fates allow                                                                                                                                                                          until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow                                                                                                              So have yourself a merry little Christmas now

However you are spending your day today remember it is just the way it is, this year. The eggs benedict were delicious, maybe a new tradition. Who knows you might find new traditions today too. As a point to mention, the board game we were playing that Thanksgiving was Pandemic. The irony is not

lost on me.