At church we knelt in front of the crèche. There weren’t many of us there before the astrologers and dromedaries. It felt both awkward and serene. The Green Bay Packers lost today. They won’t play again this year. The city slumped. Getting ready for the football game I learned how to tune in NBC. If a digital station adjusts its signal the channel will disappear unless you “auto tune” it. I’d lived without NBC for years not knowing that. At skate practice I asked another mom to help with my daughter’s hair bun; they’re harder than they look. Over lunch, this same daughter pointed out that the two of us don’t like the same things, a truth that both saddened me and made me proud. My other daughter bought a shimmering prom dress. We undecorated the Christmas tree and quenched its lights. My wife vacuumed. I did the dishes. Later, the dog barked until I invited her on the couch for a petting session. These epiphanies, both large and small, made this day holy.
— E. D. Nelson