NEDERLAND - I do think Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. I love the music and I start listening to it earlier than most people.
From the pop Holiday tunes to the hymns, I love it all. Can you believe Wham’s “Last Christmas” is 40 years old? I do believe I had a poster of George and Andrew in my room in probably 1984. And there is Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” that I have played in my many years of playing saxophone in a band from middle school through college. Those sleigh bells and clip-clop of horses' hooves always take me to Christmas nostalgia. I have always dreamed of someday taking a real sleigh ride.
Growing up as a pastor’s kid, the Advent and Christmas hymns always are in my mind this time of year. If the songs are being played on organ, piano, or guitar they all carry deep religious significance: why we celebrate Christmas. Christmas Eve service is always a special time.
If your Christmas time involves the Nativity or not, culturally the Holidays mean celebrating togetherness, joy, love, peace, and light. Another favorite part of the Holidays for me is the lights. It is a dark time of year where we live and the Holiday lights are so joyful and brighten up the long dark hours. Their twinkling glow makes me happy.
Can we talk about Christmas and not mention food? Much of the Holidays involves getting together with family and friends and having a meal together. Your mind may be going to what was served on Christmas Day when you were a child, or what you have been eating in more recent years. What desserts do you enjoy over the Holidays? Do you make something new each year? Sharing food together is a special part of the Holidays.
Giving and getting gifts is usually an expected part of Christmas. As a kid you can hardly wait to tear off the paper and open the box and see what is inside. Some years you can barely contain yourself. I remember one year being so excited about getting the Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper Barber and Beauty Shop. The next day my parents very much regretted that decision because the play dough was miserable to get out of these tiny little holes so that it would not dry out and prevent us from playing again. The commercial did not tell us that.
As we get older, the giving feels pretty wonderful. I now cannot wait for my kids to open their gifts. I wonder if that is how my parents felt.
Whatever you do during Christmas time, I hope you carry on some traditions or create new memories. Feelings of nostalgia help us feel connected to something bigger than ourselves. A touch of Christmas decorations and Holiday cheer can go a long way during these longer nights. May the joy and peace of Christmas fill your heart.
Merry Christmas!
