It's the morning of Christmas Eve and I'm having a coffee at Crema, after being met with a locked door at Barista Parlor and a friendly barista advising me they're not opening today until 8 a.m.
Christmas music is playing in the background and I'm sitting across from Crema's Christmas tree as I sip my coffee. There's a few tables of coffee lovers, like me, smiling and talking quietly. Crema is one of my favorite coffee shops in Nashville. Very good coffee made by baristas who care about making good coffee. Nice atmosphere.
Generally, Crema is busier than it used to be, when it was more of a coffee outpost. Now, the neighborhood has caught up, as buildings, apartments, and condominiums have sprouted up around them the last couple of years. Good for Crema.
I've got a lot of wrapping to do today, and tonight. Not my favorite thing in the world but 'tis the season. In our guest room and in my truck, I've got boxes shipped from Amazon and elsewhere, along with items I've picked up the last few weeks for Jude, the boys, or other members or our family. One year, someday, I'll be more organized for Christmas, but not this year.
Masks are back in force, as they should be, with the arrival of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. I'm double vaccinated and boosted but I'm not sure that matters anymore. It's all kind of depressing, to be honest, worrying - again - about the virus. Nearly 900,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 and with the surge due to the Omicron variant and the holidays, soon the national death toll will hit 1,000,000.
I distinctly remember my law partner, Mark, laughing at me in April or May 2020, when I told him in a partner's meeting that the University of California San Francisco's epidemiologists had run models that predicted 1,000,000 Americans would die from Covid-19. In the same conversation, he laughed at me when I told him Joe Biden could win the presidency. I'm glad I was right about the latter but I wish I had been wrong about the former.
Still and all, now is not the time to worry about Covid-19. Today and tomorrow - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - is a time to be in the moment and enjoy down time with Jude and the boys. A time to be grateful for what we have and for the opportunity to spend another holiday season together. A time to unwind and a time to recharge.
Last night, while I made white chili in the kitchen, Jude and the boys watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and Frosty the Snowman, at Joe's request. It's funny, sweet, and a little bit sad, but Joe is at that age, 9, where he's a mixture of childlike innocence and preadolescent angst. He believes, fervently, in Santa Claus and Elf on the Shelf - probably for the last season - yet he's becoming more aware of current events and their impact on family and friends. I'll miss these days, as I miss the stroller days.
Tomorrow, Jude's parents will come over in the morning, as they typically do, to celebrate Christmas with. Tomorrow evening, we're going to drive down to Franklin to my sister's house, which will be nice.
Christmas, again, is upon us.
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