Thanks, Sassy, for tagging me for a Christmas meme -- my first:
1. When people say “Christmas” you immediately think….
Depends on whether it’s October and I’m standing in Target noticing
the Christmas displays (in which case it’s a stream of non-spoken profanity),
or it’s the beginning of December and I’m feeling depressed and wanting to run
away from home until it’s over, or it’s Christmas Eve and I’m all set and can’t
wait to hear the church service start with, “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.” It
gives me chills and fills me with awe.
2. Favorite Christmas memory: I have so many. Probably one of the
best was seeing my father, who was in his 60s at the time, ride around the
neighborhood in his pajamas and bathrobe on the new bicycle my mother had given
him on Christmas Day. (One of the worst was having my mother-in-law tell me I
hadn’t peeled the potatoes correctly – a family tradition known as “The Potato
Torture” – or making another guest, who happened to be Jewish (what does he
think Christmas is about after this?) re-wash the crystal because it had water
spots – or having to clean her bathrooms after Christmas dinner while others
vacuumed and did other housecleaning jobs. We had to get take-out Chinese for
supper because she threw out all the Christmas dinner leftovers because she
didn’t like them cluttering up her refrigerator. I’m sure there are meds for
this but we’ve found no way to get them in her system legally.)
3. Favorite Christmas song or carol: Old, old carols, usually by
Anonymous. I love the “Lu-lay my little tiny child” one. I probably know all of
them. When Lily couldn’t sleep as a baby (and older), I didn’t know lullabies
but I knew Christmas carols so I sang them to her. She knows most of the
verses, even some of the ones where I made up the words. (Lucky her.) By the
way, I’m not a good singer. But I lift up my voice and make a joyful noise.
Surely that gives God some pleasure. It’s sure fun for me.
4. Favorite Christmas movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
5. Favorite Christmas character: Jesus, then Mary. Imagine being in
her shoes?
6. Favorite Christmas ornament or object: A stuffed but plastic-headed
Santa Claus my parents gave me as a child. He’s got a white beard (plastic) and
yellow plastic hair like a baby.
7. Plans for this Christmas: A wonderful time with my husband (who
is hysterical) and daughter and animals, then an easy but delicious Christmas
dinner (husband smoking the turkey) and my in-laws are coming over, then I’m
leaving to go to the nursing home to sit with my mother.
8. Is Christmas your favorite holiday? Yes. Even though I have a
love-hate feeling about it. It’s all too much. You’re supposed to be really
happy and it’s all supposed to be wonderful, but that’s rare. Jesus’ life was
filled with pain and suffering at times, and we need to just be “real,” like he
was, rather than guilty when we can’t make our celebration measure up to past
years or our dreams.
This year is the first without one of my favorite people, who died a
few months ago. My mother is fading away, as is my father. There is both sorrow
and joy at this season, and we need to feel free to acknowledge both.
I'm tagging:

