Xmas Fun with my Family

Here are my siblings/nieces/nephews (Dad in the background on one of the photos) and I, having a funny Xmas day.
The blonde guy with the white T shirt, is my little brother, although he's a damned sight taller than me! The very young girl and the young man/woman, both with stripey T shirts, are all my nieces and nephew.The woman with dark hair looking like she's had enough, is my older sister. Had a good old Xmas day of it. Had a lot of fun playing games later on in the evening, although I could see that the game playing was heading towards potential disaster with the amount that was being drunk! Baileys/Cava slammers! Sounds odd I know, but you had to be there to understand the ridiculousness, yet fun of this game...it involved memory and taking it in turns to remember things that were said by the previous person. My sister was getting a little agitated as her husband was drinking a wee bit too much for her liking. Interestingly, I wonder how many people feel like this around Xmas time? I guess quite a fair few as Xmas drinking does tend to bring out the demons in some people.
Later on, we all sat down to watch a bit of a film. I was tired though and ready for my bed.
It's been a lovely time to catch up with my family and share the day together...I guess this is really what Xmas is about. Catching up and sharing warm times and connections with those whom we hold dear.
I missed the person I love a lot. I missed him last night and thought a lot about him. I woke up today and missed him again. It's weird in many ways because Xmas can be such a contemplative time..I tend to reflect a lot around Xmas. It was good though, to receive Xmas wishes from him in the morning. It touched my heart and made me smile.
Interestingly, I got into a coversation with my 75 year old uncle who was talking about a 'flame' that he met, many years ago, in fact, when he was 23 years old! The woman he met was only 16 at the time and was a German woman. He sort of fell in love with her but admitted that he was stupid and never pursued her as he should have done. He married another woman that ended in divorce 17 years later!
However, he's still in contact with the German woman today and still has strong feelings - 50 or so years later...Wow!
In some ways as people, I feel we forget about elderly people and their lives. In may ways, society is so dismissive of elderly people and in manys, they become 'invisible', when in fact, they've shared the same feelings, passion, desires as younger people. I love talking to older people, they fascinate me. Their history and indeed their stories fascinate me.
I also though, love being around young children when I have no 'exterior' stresses such as work. I love watching them play and listening to what they have to say;Xmas allows me to listen more intently to them and laugh at their cheekiness and funny behaviour.

So today was contemplative, reflective, fun, happy, merry, warm and touching.