As the fire crackles, softly in the fireplace, the temperature begins to swiftly drop outside to somewhere between sweater-weather and snow falling as night takes over day. Me, curled up in a fuzzy blanket and looking out of my bedroom window. It doesn’t smell like snow tonight, even though I wish it would. Because right around the corner is Christmas and right now, I’m not really in the Christmas spirit.

Now sure we’ve got the tree up, it’s almost decorated, and all of my shopping is done, but something feels off this year. Even though there is still the leftover snow on the ground from the last snowstorm, something is missing, and I don’t know what. Maybe it’s the snow.

Do you remember the last time New England had a white Christmas? One where it was actually snowing on the holiday and not just some leftover white powder. The past two years, we’ve been “blessed” with 50’s and 60 degree weather without any snow. Now I’m not saying we need a blizzard, but just an inch that slowly accumulates during the day would be nice. Just something to watch while we open presents and eat some of that Christmas dinner.

Maybe the reason I’m not in the holiday spirit is because we haven’t started prepping the food yet. In a house of nine, we sure know our food. In fact, it’s something that we all look forward to every year. Whether it’s Dad and me making homemade mini muffins and sausage balls for the morning, or my homemade apple crisp for an after-dinner dessert (or all day snack in my opinion) food is a staple of our day. Christmas Eve is spent decorating the tree, strategically placing presents under the tree so our dogs don’t chew on our presents (all of mine again) and prepping the food.

The reason things could feel off is my family. There’s nothing wrong with them per say (although I have stories that say otherwise) but we’re just older. Some of us have moved out, others have significant others that draw their time away from home, or some are simply workaholics. It’s uncommon for all of us to meet on one day because of our busy schedules. That’s what makes this holiday so special. We all can be there.

The Christmas season is about appreciating all of the little things in our lives that add up to make the holiday great. Even though the meaning of the day has changed from its roots, it has taken on a better meaning. To me, Christmas is about the food, music, snow and my family but not completely. They are the puzzle pieces that fit together to make a larger picture. My Christmas spirit may not be here yet, but once I roll my sleeves up to make that apple crisp, I’m sure it won’t be too far behind.