I don't know about you but this Christmas has brought back all kinds of memories - for the churches I serve, for my family and for me. The memories range from when (and how) services "used to be" to times for worship service. From the times weather has stopped the services to our favorite Christmas tradition. There was the time, about 12 years ago, when Dad and I couldn't even get out of the house let alone next door for worship OR into the Cities for the family Christmas. It has been fun talking about the memories.
I was also asked about favorite Christmas traditions. When I was small it was going to grandparents and seeing the whole family - cousins and everything. Now our favorite tradition is actually the day after Christmas. My sister, her daughter, granddaughter and I all work on quilts -- usually quilts for veterans. We are all in one place with someone cooking so we can quilt. The first time we did this was at my sister's house with Dad and her grandson playing chess while we quilted. Our other sister did the cooking and kept the coffee going. This year the "cooking" sister had to work, the grandson is old enough to take off on his own and we were at her daughter's house. The four of us quilting, however, were also remembering the other times we have done this, looking at the memories as they came up on Facebook and thinking about the first time. Special memories to make, to share and to remember........
0 Comments
This Advent season the churches I serve have been doing an interesting study on Jesus' family tree. I know a number of people who have been researching their family trees so this study has fit in VERY well. It has also been a way for us each of us to share some of the stories from our families as we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birthday.
One of the questions I was asked was when I would be putting up my Christmas tree. To which I replied "not until Christmas Eve Day." This is Advent , tree goes up Christmas Eve and comes down at Epiphany. Which is true until the last few Christmas seasons Dad was with me. After growing up with this timing Dad and I had quite a few "go arounds" because he suddenly wanted the tree up in the middle of December. To add insult to injury he couldn't help with putting up the tree, decorating it (or the house) AND he wanted a train set under the tree!! If I remember right we did compromise..... I let him have the tree up a week "early" and, yes, he did get the train set. Because sometimes, even when you compromise, you have to laugh or you will start screaming! We are, at least according to the calendar, to winter, holidays, Advent and preparing for Christmas. Where I live the weather is NOT giving us winter - thankfully - but even that is probably going to change. One of the interesting things happening as we come together for the holidays is the telling of the stories of previous family get togethers.
This can be an interesting, informative and difficult thing to do. It is also an important part of passing on the family history to the younger members of the family. The interesting part can be when one person starts telling a story and other people start correcting, or changing, the story. The informative part is when we explain how "things used to be" -- before cell phones and technology took over. The difficult part is the way they are sometimes painful memories -- either because of what happened or the person no longer there to share. It is still important for family to be able to come together and celebrate the crazy part of the family stories. For instance..... Thanksgiving brought back memories of the first Thanksgiving after my divorce. I was living in Texas, near my folks to help them with the foster kids they were working with, and I invited every person I knew or could find who would be "by themselves" for Thanksgiving dinner. They were to bring their kids too. Mom and I ended up putting tables end to end from the kitchen door to the patio door -- across the dining room and the living room. Mom and I sat by the kitchen and Dad sat with his back to the door - thankfully Texas in November is pretty nice temps (at least that year)! Mom did a lot of the cooking but everyone brought a dish to share also. The youngest was about 3 and Dad, the oldest, was in his late 60's by then. A good time was had by all! Something to think about............. |
Archives
November 2024
Categories |