But I love Christmas music. Not the cheesy, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or “Jingle Bell Rock” kind of Christmas music. But the old hymns, the “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”, and the “O Holy Night”, and the Sojourn album “Advent Songs.”
But listening to Christmas music makes me think of how different this Christmas is going to be. Christmas has always been a time of great tradition for our family – Christmas breakfast is always cinnamon rolls, we have a specific present-opening order, and we have our Christmas Eve church services where we see friends we haven’t seen in a year. But I don’t know what this Christmas is going to look like in comparison. Will we go to the Christmas Eve services? And Christmas is on a Sunday this year, so how will that work? (By the way, Christmas on a Sunday when your father is a pastor is always complicated….) And what will the day look like? I know I’m going to make cinnamon rolls, but will they taste as good as my mom’s?
Really it’s not about Christmas. Really it’s about how much has changed, and how hard that is. Christmas is just an easy yardstick to measure against.
*I do know it's now November, but I wrote this mid-October. I wanted to show my ridiculous love for Christmas songs, and stay as truthful as possible, even with less important details like how inappropriately early I really start listening to seasonal music
I was talking with my mom about the holidays last night. Both of us kinda wish we could just pretend they aren't there this year - Chinese takeout for Thanksgiving, anyone? But if hanging on to tradition will keep my grandma going strong, then mom and I can put on a rendition of "John, the turkey isn't ready yet, sit down" and "Cathy, it's going to be dry, mutter mutter mutter." And scene. - JM
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