December Passings.....
December is gone. Again. It is far and away my favorite month-and the most significant for me. Each year I try and savor each day, and alas, it goes all too quickly.
It might seem a little morose, but the first thing that always impacts me is Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7. This day effected all of us, as we were plunged into a war that profoundly altered the shape of our economy, politics,culture and religion. For me personally, the war brought my dad out to the west coast from Tennessee, where he met my mom and ultimately stayed. He may have never left the south, which he loved, otherwise. He tried to enlist in the marines that day, as thousands of others did, but was told to wait and finish college and become an engineer. And so he did-and saw the world in the Navy. He never went back and ended up in California, where I grew up.
He and mom were married on Dec 15, 1951- a Christmas wedding. Their pictures are all black and white, but they told me everything was red and green. The Christams season was in full swing and they loved it. I enjoyed seeing them celebrate through the years- going out and often dancing in the family room, circulating around the Christmas tree.And so goes the rest of the month-Christmas.
Even though I grew up in southern California, I loved winter and Christmas. I still can remember the rainy days, snow in the mountains, the sound of the huge fans in the orange groves (they blew the warm air from "smudge pots"-metal containers with oil fires in them-through the groves to keep the oranges from freezing.) The sound of them and the sound of the heat coming on in our house through the night was some how special and comforting. Maybe it was because it was so different from the rest of the year-actual weather! I would watch the Christmas shows and look at the books and cards all showing snow, sleighs,snowmen....it all seemed so appealing and well, right (of course I had never had to shovel it, get stuck in it, etc.)
Then there was the music. My folks loved music and it played constantly. Bing, Frank, Ella-all the different artists were decking the halls and sleighriding twentyfour -seven in my house, even though it was 70 degrees outside and palm trees waved in the wind. I love Christmas music to this day and play it well into January. (It's also a welcome relief from the cheesy '70s music they usually play in stores, which is often about sex- very odd when you think about it. Why would you want to hear Rod Stewart singing about his conquests while you choose a head of lettuce?)
The fondest family memories I have are singing around the house, getting a tree, cooking the turkey, shopping for presents, wrapping them with my mom, dad getting a fire going before we would come into the living room for Christmas morning (yes we had a fireplace-hard to explain in SoCal, but hey-it was for atmosphere!) All simple stuff really. Decorating the tree was a family effort too, with mom putting on the aluminum icicles (my brother and I tended to throw clumps and were summarily banned from the ritual...)Perhaps it was special because we all enjoyed it so much-we were united in our love for the season.
Oh-and school was out too! And since I have worked in academia my whole live, I have always had time off in December. No Scrooge demanding I work up to Christmas eve, no way. Later, when I joined a campus ministry, there was the annual Christmas conference. The month has ended for me for the last 26 years in a hotel, surrounded by hundreds of other Christians, praising God and praying in the New Year.
And now it's over. I mourn its passing once again. January just doesn't have a whole lot to offer, but I still love the snow, now that I have some. I really don't mind shoveling it. I wonder what it would look like on palm trees?
It might seem a little morose, but the first thing that always impacts me is Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7. This day effected all of us, as we were plunged into a war that profoundly altered the shape of our economy, politics,culture and religion. For me personally, the war brought my dad out to the west coast from Tennessee, where he met my mom and ultimately stayed. He may have never left the south, which he loved, otherwise. He tried to enlist in the marines that day, as thousands of others did, but was told to wait and finish college and become an engineer. And so he did-and saw the world in the Navy. He never went back and ended up in California, where I grew up.
He and mom were married on Dec 15, 1951- a Christmas wedding. Their pictures are all black and white, but they told me everything was red and green. The Christams season was in full swing and they loved it. I enjoyed seeing them celebrate through the years- going out and often dancing in the family room, circulating around the Christmas tree.And so goes the rest of the month-Christmas.
Even though I grew up in southern California, I loved winter and Christmas. I still can remember the rainy days, snow in the mountains, the sound of the huge fans in the orange groves (they blew the warm air from "smudge pots"-metal containers with oil fires in them-through the groves to keep the oranges from freezing.) The sound of them and the sound of the heat coming on in our house through the night was some how special and comforting. Maybe it was because it was so different from the rest of the year-actual weather! I would watch the Christmas shows and look at the books and cards all showing snow, sleighs,snowmen....it all seemed so appealing and well, right (of course I had never had to shovel it, get stuck in it, etc.)
Then there was the music. My folks loved music and it played constantly. Bing, Frank, Ella-all the different artists were decking the halls and sleighriding twentyfour -seven in my house, even though it was 70 degrees outside and palm trees waved in the wind. I love Christmas music to this day and play it well into January. (It's also a welcome relief from the cheesy '70s music they usually play in stores, which is often about sex- very odd when you think about it. Why would you want to hear Rod Stewart singing about his conquests while you choose a head of lettuce?)
The fondest family memories I have are singing around the house, getting a tree, cooking the turkey, shopping for presents, wrapping them with my mom, dad getting a fire going before we would come into the living room for Christmas morning (yes we had a fireplace-hard to explain in SoCal, but hey-it was for atmosphere!) All simple stuff really. Decorating the tree was a family effort too, with mom putting on the aluminum icicles (my brother and I tended to throw clumps and were summarily banned from the ritual...)Perhaps it was special because we all enjoyed it so much-we were united in our love for the season.
Oh-and school was out too! And since I have worked in academia my whole live, I have always had time off in December. No Scrooge demanding I work up to Christmas eve, no way. Later, when I joined a campus ministry, there was the annual Christmas conference. The month has ended for me for the last 26 years in a hotel, surrounded by hundreds of other Christians, praising God and praying in the New Year.
And now it's over. I mourn its passing once again. January just doesn't have a whole lot to offer, but I still love the snow, now that I have some. I really don't mind shoveling it. I wonder what it would look like on palm trees?
posted by Rob | 9:35 PM
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