The Perks of Two

In the center of Hanukkah this year we'll leave the latkes and applesauce, gelt and chanukiah and drive  the three miles to her house.  Past the Santa wind sock and the poinsettias awaits a condo filled with the sent of evergreen, twinkling lights and cinnamon scented candles.  It always feels a bit awkward moving from my space to hers when the celebrations collide.   I'll sit on her couch watching.   After all these years I still feel like I'm in a foreign land.   My boys have no trouble.  They have grown up with the perks of the two and have no trouble switching gears.   She'll crown one boy with the Santa hat (the one who doles out the gifts) and the frenzy begins.  The giving is generous, big, loving and exhausting.   In recent years she has let go of the traditional meal and agreed to come to my house for dinner.  After a few hours she'll drive the three miles to my home with her visiting sons.    We'll make our new ritual meal of Paella, drink champagne, eat whatever gelt is left,  look at each other through the kindled lights and  observe the great miracle of family.