THE IMPERFECT CHRISTMAS

Duke Chapel, 2nd Sunday in Advent

Christmas makes me happy.  

I love to decorate the house.  We put up a live tree and bring down boxes of ornaments.  I hang the Santa Clause two young cousins gave our equally young son.  Our granddaughter puts the pink velvet reindeer from Selfridges in London in a prominent place. My husband hangs a globe with a faded picture of his father and our two babies.  We have six silver drums from the year our son was high school drum major.  The toy ornaments were sent by my mom our first year away; little mice in fancy clothes, a mole in a top hat.  Our daughter's china doll gets a special place. My collection of tea kettles weighs down the branches.  I gather greenery from the yard and fill every container with holly berries and pine.  The candles I've been collecting at discount all year are finally lit.  

Shopping is a breeze with online sources and detailed lists.  I keep carols playing and a fire going.  Nothing has to be mailed and we don't have to travel.  

I love the progress of Advent, one more candle each week, mid-week services, O Come O Come Emmanuel; the windows and music and poinsettias at Duke Chapel; the church family at our Lutheran place of worship.

I begin using my Spode Christmas china as early as I can and invite a few friends for casual get-togethers.  Usually, we have beloved family on Christmas Eve before or after the service and some more a day or so later. The grandchildren are fine and healthy and loving. 

Nothing is more welcome than Silent Night by candlelight.  God always finds me at Christmas time and for that I am grateful.  

Christmas makes me sad. 

There are no little ones around the house.  No toys to buy, no Santa Claus.  No one spends the night for an early Christmas morning.  Many ornaments bring bittersweet memories.  My mom and dad are gone, our only son too.  Someone I love deeply has problems I cannot touch.  

I do not cook for extended family anymore and after a divorce some of them are elsewhere.  My wonderful grandsons navigate stepparents and new obligations.  

So, what do we have?  Can you say something similar?  Are there two sides to your Christmas?  Perhaps the two sides have to do with family, or faith, or life and death, or health, or insecurity, or isolation, or ruminations, or all the myriads of life and aging.  

Still, the angels will sing.  They are practicing now.  All they need is an open heart to receive them and I am willing to give that.  So, my two sides aren't quite even. Whether Christmas makes me happy or sad, I love it.  I need it.  I need the birth of Christ so that Easter and the Resurrection can come too.  If someday I am alone somewhere, as many are on Christmas day, I will still be glad for the birth of the Christ child who lets me know that there is resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.  I do so much pray that we all find and keep our Christmas joy. In Christ, Nina Naomi