We have somehow fallen, together with my husband’s family and a couple friends, into a cozy habit of Second Day Holidays. I was introduced to Second Day Christmas in Sweden. At the time I was there, there were strict social laws about what you did on Second Day Christmas. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day you were home with your family. On Second Day Christmas you went out and visited friends and exchanged any gifts you might have with them.

It was wonderful.

It’s a bit ironic, as Margaret says, because I feed left overs to the ones I love the most. But it is (drumroll, please) deliciously ironic (rimshot!).

These second day gatherings are relaxed with little to do but press the buttons on the microwave. There’s no frenzy about preparing or eating. And in this year’s case, we’re building on a visit we just had from Steve’s (now my) kids. So we’ll be cozy and warm and filled with joy and thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving food).

We’ll keep a close eye on the eagle nest to see if they won’t dash up and down the river to amuse us. But mostly we’ll just laugh. And we’re pretty much on the same political wave lengths, so we won’t have land mines to negotiate.

It brings me new life and love. It eases my heart, because the holidays were always so filled up with my family — Steve and I are relative newcomers at being family to one another. And almost as long as we’ve been together, my family has been aging or sickening and dying. So day-of holidays can be hard.

Enter his lovely brother, sister-in-law, and her family, a few choice friends, and love and Peace arrive on the second day. We’re taking our extended family and friends and deliberately making family. I am truly grateful. I hope you all found Peace on the holiday.

I hope we all make Peace going forward. We’re going to need it.