Holiday Heaven

Most people associate Home for the Holidays with Christmas, but for me it always evokes memories of Thanksgivings when I was a child.  As the baby of six children my older siblings were already married and raising families when I was still quite young, but they all came home for Thanksgiving.
 The days leading up to the holiday were filled with cooking, baking, cleaning, and other preparations.  Amid all the hustle and bustle we always took time to watch Perry Como’s weekly television show.  His Thanksgiving show was like our home in that everyone was busy preparing the big feast.  Perry welcomed family and friends to their stage home with Home for the Holidays and to me it was true—no matter where you roam there is no place like home for the holidays. 
 At the end of the show everyone gathered at the food laden table and Perry closed the show with the musical grace Bless This House.  It always felt like he was praying for our house as well as his.  Joy and reverence for family and friends were instilled in me forever by those two songs.  Nowadays family is far away and being home during the holidays isn’t always possible, but when I hear Home for the Holidays my heart and mind goes back if only for a little while and I say a prayer for all to bless their homes with peace, joy, and love.