I’ve been thinking about holidays. One of my early Halloween costumes was Huckleberry Hound (anybody else remember him?). Back in those days, my friends and I went trick-or-treating, without parents, all over the neighborhood, and we were never afraid to eat the caramel apples or popcorn balls. Then I had my own precious daughter Amy, and our family celebrated Halloween at our church fall carnival where Amy’s favorite activity was the pony ride, riding when she was little, and then walking the ponies around as a teenager. When she was little, I drove Amy to a few church family’s homes to get the experience of ringing the doorbell and saying “trick or treat.” Afterwards, we always visited Anania Place where a table was set up with all sorts of snacks and candies, and each of the neighbors greeted the children. The funniest year was when they had a silver platter and cover on the table and the neighbors would invite the children to open the cover, only to find our friend's head on the platter with fake blood dripping from his mouth.
Thanksgiving was next, my Dad’s favorite holiday. I remember Mom cooking all morning, and Dad wheeling out the portable tv to sit along side the living room tv, both set to different football games, and the radio on next to him so he could hear a third game in his earphone. Sounds of Dad cheering or yelling at the ref, smells of turkey and trimmings, happiness filled our house that day. And naps filled our house after our turkey feast. Years later, I find Thanksgiving is now my favorite holiday, with sweet memories of my Dad, and the smell and taste of turkey and stuffing takes me right back to my childhood kitchen table. Dan, Mom and I started a new tradition last year by having Thanksgiving dinner at Stuart Anderson’s Cattle Company, and Mom and I will be there again this year. Dan will share Thanksgiving with his parents this year, still waiting for that new liver, and I miss him terribly.
The Christmas catalogs have started arriving, usually 3-5 per day and I find myself a little wistful anticipating Christmas this year. Yes, I will spend about a week in Phoenix with Dan and his folks and his sister Debbie and her 3 kids. We hope Amy and Adam and Swen will be able to join us. Sadly this year, we will miss Dan’s sister Roxanne and Joel as they recently moved to Colorado, though Dan’s folks plan to fly there on Christmas day and spend the week. I’m usually ok with changes in things, but don’t mess with my holidays. And sadly, I know that when I leave Phoenix after Christmas, I will be leaving alone, again, unless Dan gets his new liver.
You know, the older I get, the more I have to work at keeping the joy and wonder of the holidays. My memories are a big part of how that, and retelling all the old stories keep them new again. And the older I get, the more I find the Truth more precious, which really keeps the joy and wonder. To celebrate with families at the church fall carnival, to share God’s love, to give a hug to a child or a grandma is a privilege. To finally get it that Thanksgiving is more than football and turkey, but to spend the day in real gratitude to God for His many blessings (and pray the Vikings win at least 1 game this year.) And Christmas, more than the choir musical, more than the smell of pine trees and hot cocoa, more than the crisp, cool air, more than the pretty packages under the tree and the taste of homemade cookies. I look at my nativity set, and I finally get it. A real teenage couple traveled many, many miles to a real Bethlehem, and God came in the form of a real baby, because He really loved me. A real star pointed the real wise men to bring real gifts and offer real worship. As the saying goes, “wise men still seek Him.” I may not be wise, but I now, really do, seek Him.
“Oh come, let us adore Him…Christ the Lord”,
Debbie
