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Welcome to the holidays, Willow

Our Thanksgiving trip to Henderson, Tenn., is what we live for, for friends and family, for camaraderie and good times, for enjoying life.
The trip was wonderful. Che and I had a great time, and Willow absolutely had the time of her life (I know this because our first day back on Daddy and Willow time was, in a word, tough; Willow missed her granddad and his silliness, see photo, and the loving embraces of aunts, uncles, of cousins and grandmothers).
As Willow becomes more conscious of her life and the family members who inhabit it, these days are more and more magical. And the traditions we set are more and more meaningful.
That goes for Daddy and Mommy too. Life, with Willow in it, has a greater tug on our heart. Our perspective has changed. Our outlook is rosier. The view of our experiences are sharper. Our memories, new and old ones, have a new glow about them.
Willow has brought some sort of mystical presence to our lives, and to our holidays and traditions.
Take Halloween, for example. I hadn't truly participated in that fall festival since college, and it had been years before that since I'd experienced the utter innocent fun of the tradition. This year, the magic returned. And along with it, childhood memories. And along with those, eagerness for future Halloweens.
Thanksgiving has always been special, but this year the experience was tenfold. A millionfold. The same thing happened. The weekend was filled with meaning for me. The days in themselves were deeply felt, but they also roused cobwebbed memories of days at Mama's house. And those stoked hopes for future Thanksgivings.
As for Christmas, I'm buzzing with glee. And Che is too. We want Willow to have what we had. We want the merry torch to pass to her, fueled by the joy of our childhoods.
And so I give thanks to Willow, and I hope she has much to be thankful for.
She has made life better, deeper with meaningfulness.
She has made the future brighter, filled with hope.
And, somehow, she's brought our yesterdays back to life, the memories as vigorous as ever.
It seems, now, that they'll live forever.
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