A girl I know was asked to speak on a pivotal Christmas memory last Sunday. I
thought I would share with cousins and friends what Jane related.
Jane had visited many interesting places in her life, spent 6 months in the
Holy Land, including Christmas Day, had been all around Europe and many
"festive" cities at Christmastime. The Christmas that changed her life forever
happened 12 years ago December 21st when her little brother died of a brain
tumor. His funeral was on Christmas Eve that year.
There were no presents as there had been no time to fixate on a tree, lights,
or any of the trappings and wrappings of the seasons. It was a Christmas of
adjusting to "partings". It was a Christmas simply cast in poignant goodbyes
and tears. It was also a time of receiving much love and comfort from friends
and neighbors. Christmas Day itself was quietly spent reminescing of the life
of her small brother, thinking about the real mission of Christ, and things
important in their lives.
The 12 Christmases since then became seasonably different. Gifts were never
more a priority or had any kind of strength to skew true Christmas
perspectives. Christmas gift exchanges became something they used to do. True
joy, and the joy often missed during the hoildays inspite of our seasonal
traditions, came from simple delights: being together as a family, doing
anonymous deeds for others, sharing experiences, and bringing love and comfort
to all those who need it as they needed it so desperately 12 years ago.
Now, whether you have any religious inclinations or not, life's harsh
experiences will indeed pare down our priorities to the bare essentials--and
if we pay attention to the lesson of that moment, we will find ourselves
immersed in a certain peace of mind, comfort and truth we would not have had
otherwise as our new direction gives us new freedom to find our way. Something
no gift or money could ever capture at Christmastime.
And this was Jane's story.
--D'Ann