ME: Do you remember that first Christmas with baby Ming?
ANTHONY: The ride-on truck?
ME: Yes! We had other presents too but that ride-on truck trumped everything. His little, round face was so expressionless and quite bewildered until we encouraged him to tear open the wrapping paper.
ANTHONY: Yes, I remember.
ME: That memory is a tiny sliver of absolute joy between the three of us.
ANTHONY: I also remember you going slightly mad with filling Ming’s Christmas pillow-case with so many presents – too many!
ME: But that is what my parents did for us – me, and my two younger brothers. The absolute magic of an empty pillowcase, placed at the end of our beds, being filled with presents the next morning; I wanted to do that for Ming too! I still want to!
ANTHONY: Ming is 28 now, Jules. He would not appreciate the pillow-case ritual.
ME: Understood, yes, but I can’t wait to tell you what I got him for Christmas!
ANTHONY: Calm down, Jules!
ME: I am not sure if I am allowed to tell you about Ming’s partner yet but she is awesome!
ANTHONY: I know.
ME: I just wish I could remember what the other two presents were for Ming’s first Christmas.
ANTHONY: A John Deere miniature tractor and some sort of bouncy ball thing.
ME: Oh yes! Do you remember Ming opening his presents with us on top of the tartan bedspread?
ANTHONY: Yes and, as I watch him grow up from boy to man, I wish I could be there in a more tangible way, Jules.
ME: He knows you are there for him, Ants, like a sort of angel.
ANTHONY: I would rather be dead than an angel, Jules!
ME: Whoops!
jmgoyder 
so uplifting!
Magical!
I enjoyed this
I remember those wonderful imagination posts. Miss them