Tag Archives: Christmas

Christmas Letters to Alex- The Walnut

02 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by in Christmas

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

It’s nothing impressive on face. It’s a walnut, dipped in pink paint, and covered in glitter. As ornaments go, it’s pretty boring. 

Until you realize that the walnut in question is 65 years old. My dad made it when he was a boy. It decorated his family tree for years. Then it decorated our family tree in Colorado. When unmoved out, it followed me as I traveled the country. 

It’s a living link to family history. It’s a connection to decades of family stories, family gatherings, and moments of joy. It’s a little guardian, watching over me as I build new memories every year. That’s one of the things I love about this time of year. You get to remember the things that happened, good and bad. You can take inventory, and learn from those moments in the past. Time eases edges, and lessens pain. Soon you find more joy in those memories. 

Don’t be afraid to remember the past, to honor it, and to let go of the edges that hurt. 

Find the joy. 

Advertisement

Christmas Letters to Alex- the beginning

01 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by in Christmas

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Dear Alex,

You’re 8 months old, and the light of your parents lives. I’m sure by now that you’re tired of hearing how much you are loved and wanted. Tough. You’ll spend a lifetime hearing it, and hopefully never have to understand why it was such a miracle that you finally made it into the world. You’re adored kiddo. Tough. 

As your read these, you’re a man now, maybe with kids of your own. Laughing at the kitschy letters from “Aunt Clara” with your kids. But I’d be remiss if I did t at least touch on the chaos of the world in 2016. Dumpster fire is a good analogy. For an awful lot of folks the world is scary, the future uncertain. That makes a perfect kick off to these letters. 

Because for me, Christmas has only had loose attachment to religion. It’s always been more about faith and hope. The fact that it’s a holiday celebrating the birth of another special baby- eh that’s just a bonus for a wordsmith with a schmaltzy streak. 
I’ll hopefully share some of my favorite holiday traditions, and stories that matter to me. It’s my gift to you, in your first year on this planet. Someday down the road, I hope these words will give you a push when you need it, and a kick in the tail when you really need it. 

Because the greatest gift of all is always hope. 
–Love, Aunt Clara 

Stay Awake- First day of Advent

02 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Trends in nutrition

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Every Christmas holiday season I make an attempt to share my love of this time of year via my blog. This year is no exception. Yesterday marked the final kickoff to Christmas, and was also the first day of Advent. Advent is the traditional build up to the birth of Jesus, which most Christian denominations celebrate as December 25th. I spent 1979-80 living in Southern (read CATHOLIC) Germany with my parents and brother. As a result, my formative Christmas memories blend in a lot of the German Advent/Christmas traditions into the secular Christmas I grew up with. 

At Mass yesterday, the Gospel reading talks about Jesus encouraging his disciples to stay awake. I had to laugh because that’s really what I did yesterday. I was up early and out later, which resulted in catching some truly spectacular photos. It’s a good reminder. It’s awfully easy to just ease into comfortable thinking this time of year, literally to fall asleep. You go on autopilot when you shop. You hit the lines for big sales, and don’t really enjoy it. You just move through the season, hoping it is all over soon. But what happens if you wake up? What happens if you go into your day, thinking not about your must do tasks, but thinking about how much fun you might have? What happens when you open yourself up for something good to happen, even if it requires you do a little extra work?

When I went out picture hunting last night, the first half dozen shots were okay. I was pretty sure that the sun was not going to give me anything spectacular. But I decided to hang out a few minutes longer, just in case. I was rewarded with glorious pinks, purples, and a pretty awesome shot. 

If I’d just shrugged my shoulders and moved on, no stunning shot. No big smile on my face. No sense of accomplishment. I had to push a little harder, but man it was so worth it. 

Every day can be special, you just have to stay awake and give it a chance. 

20131202-105554.jpg