My father’s elder sister Harriet was small and petite and was very good looking. She had been widowed young and in difficult circumstances, but despite the adversity was full of fun. We always went to her house on the night after Christmas. We loved it because she was not house proud and would have all the fun stuff that kids loved. Every few years she would redecorate her dining room and sitting room. She did it herself as she was a talented arts and crafts person. One year she bought end of season paper to do her sitting room. It was a bamboo pattern. She came home from work and put up a few sheets. Next day she realized she had put them up the wrong way. She had only the minimum amount of paper so she continued putting it up the wrong way. She put the border along the base board and then in an act of brilliance she painted foot prints across the ceiling. On the night of her party one of her brothers told her the paper was up the wrong way and without batting an eyelid she told him he was drunk and sitting on the ceiling …could he not see the dirty food prints he had made on her new car- pet. That story to me is what family is about and every Christmas I laugh and cry at the same time as I remember and celebrate what these people meant to me. They were not rich or famous but they knew how to share and cele- brate. Most of them had known hardship and had to flee like the hold family the land of their birth but they laughed they live and above all they gave us a sense of who we are. As we celebrate the feast of The Holy Family and hear their story let us also celebrate our families and the aunts and uncles that were part of our families and enriched our lives. May they all share in the peace and joy of God’s kingdom and continue to celebrate their Christmas with him. We Remember We Celebrate We Believe Let the Christmas journey continue, Fr Karl