WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME

 by Judy Ann Davis

What does Christmas mean to me? There are so many things to think about when the holiday season arrives in December. For me, and most importantly, Christmas means we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. But it also means we need to reflect upon such things as compassion for others, being kind and caring, being thankful for good health, and being grateful for friends and family. My husband and I also rejoice in the celebration of the season with special traditions like sending Christmas cards and enjoying certain foods, stories, movies, and music.

I am hooked on Christmas music and usually turn on the tunes the day after Thanksgiving. Imagine my surprise when my husband started playing them on Thanksgiving Day. I believe that he, like all of us during this pandemic, wanted something uplifting to hear and look forward to. I love to play instrumental Christmas songs and fill the house with the old standard holiday tunes while I work. My favorite Christmas carols are in a tie--Silver Bells with Mary Did You Know? 

But if I could decide on one thing that I'm forever grateful for, it's the invention of our technical digital advances allowing us visual face time with people from afar. We regularly Skype with our son and family in Alaska, watching his four-year-old and his seventeen-month-old sons grow and thrive in the snowy North. It’s such a joy to chat with them.

This year, we will celebrate alone again. My husband and I always cook together during the holidays. We’ll bake a ham with all our traditional fixings of baked corn, green beans, potatoes, cookies, and an apple or pumpkin pie. We are fans of left-overs. My husband makes a fabulous ham and potato soup afterwards.

I used to get anxiety-ridden when the holiday season arrived. There was so much to do when my sons lived at home. However, my mother, who is now deceased, used to tell me over and over, “Judy, Christmas is really only one day.” She was right, the rest is just frenzy in celebration of that one day.

If you have special traditions you celebrate for Christmas, drop me a note in the comment box below. I’d love to hear about them. Before I forget: 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

   A NOVELLA FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

              A MAPLE COOKIE HOMECOMING

      

            THE MUSICAL CHRISTMAS SERIES:

                 JUNE ~ The Pianist

                ADELENE ~ The Violinist

                LUCY ~ The Clarinetist