Let’s face it. There are times when even the best of us are a little obsessed with Supernatural. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s a fact of life in the Supernatural family. For example, this week I was decorating my house with the same Christmas decorations I have used for the past 20 years. I know which bag has the stuffed animals, which bin has the ornaments, and which box has the religious statues. This year, though, I came across a stuffed plush toy that is supposed to make you think of winter scenes. Every year I place it on our staircase with the little Santas and the Mouse King from The Nutcracker. When I looked at it this year, though, I just laughed and knew exactly where it had to sit for the holiday season.

That got me thinking. Do any of my other decorations have a special meaning for me this year? As Christmas drew closer, I started to notice little Supernatural winks in each family tradition. Decorating the tree was just too obvious. My “little tree topper” doesn’t wear a trench coat, but she still has her wings, and she glows with a bright, white light.



Since I have a particular fondness of angels, once I looked around I found angels “hiding” everywhere.

There were angel ornaments in the tree,



…angels keeping vigil over our nativities,



…and the angels watching from above.



As presents were unwrapped on Christmas morning, I smiled as I thought of the other “family” who might be giving and receiving these same gifts. The ball cap with the FBI logo reminded me of a lovable old man with a phone bank on his kitchen wall.



The plaid shirt would be given to update the tired wardrobe of one of the brothers.


 
…and the practical gifts that were lovingly given to fill up those long, oversized stockings.



How many other Christmases had our two families exchanged the same gifts? Dean would recognize the miniature, metal cars that raced around our figure-8 tracks and got chased by police down imaginary back highways.



…or the Legos. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Legos that got into every corner of the playroom, got stuffed into the furniture cushions… and got lost in the family car.



…and toy soldiers. Now I can’t look at them without thinking of two little boys playing with them in the back seat of the Impala during long road trips down deserted, dirt roads.



Then there are the Christmas presents that remind me of so many good and bad days shared by two brothers. The largest teddy bear in the house is overstuffed, floppy and has a rather chagrinned look on his face. He may be chocolate brown instead of jet black, but he knows his reason for living is to share a little girl’s love and to sip tea at countless tea parties.



…and the super-soakers that had to be replaced because the pump action finally gave out. They may never have been filled with holy water and fired by a prophet, but they are still pretty handy weapons on hot summer days.



Holidays are hard for some people because they have lost someone or are alone and lonely. Our boys certainly understand about loss of friends and family, having experienced far more than their fair share. They also understand, though, that all you need is one person to share a spiked eggnog with you to feel the love of family.



They know that one present wrapped in newspaper can mean more than a stack of boxes wrapped in shiny paper. They know that all you need is something you love on TV, whether it’s a football game or a show about family, angels and demons, to make the evening warm and cozy. Supernatural fans learned all these lessons from our boys. We have each other, because family doesn’t end with blood. We give each other the gifts of videos and art and stories wrapped in love. We watch our Show together every week. Even when new stories aren’t being aired, we pull out our favorite episodes and share them with each other through Twitter, Tumblr, and this website’s chat room. None of us are alone because we have each other.

It doesn’t matter if your holiday traditions include a Christmas tree, a Hanukah Menorah, a Kwanzaa Kinara, or nothing at all, you can always smile to yourself knowing the secret that you are a part of a worldwide family, who knows about shaving cream and motor oil, baseball caps and teddy bears, Legos in the car heater and tools in the trunk. Did you have a Supernatural Holiday?

“Merry Christmas, Dean.”

“Merry Christmas, Sammy.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. – Nightsky

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