Silence, Waiting, and Unplugging

I stopped by the veterinarian's office this week to pick up some food for my cat. While I was there, I got into a conversation with one of the workers, named Alma, about the changing dynamics of Christmas.

You'll know why hearing her name made the hair on my arms stand on end if you've read Mercy Inn.

She told me her mother passed away this spring, so this will be her first Christmas without her. That led to a conversation about how all of us have to adapt to new places and new traditions and different (or fewer) people from one Christmas celebration to the next.

My Christmas celebrations have certainly changed over the years.

My parents divorced when I was just eight years old. That led to two separate Christmas celebrations. My dad's side of the family met at his parents on Christmas Eve. And when I became an adult, my mom's side of the family met at her place on Christmas Day.

At my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve, we laughed, ate more fudge and homemade cookies than a person should ever eat in one sitting and opened more gifts than any person should be blessed to receive.

At my Mom's house on Christmas Day, we laughed, ate a ton of food, opened more gifts than any person should be blessed to receive and watched football.

Then my grandfather died and everything changed. I think we continued to celebrate on Christmas Eve there for a few more years, but eventually, that tradition died and Grandma started coming with us to my mother's house on Christmas Day. And we made many more great memories there.

But Christmas Eve never quite felt the same.

Then my dad died.

The next couple of Christmas celebrations were difficult. But we adapted, because, what choice did we have?

Then my grandmother died.

As my family got smaller and smaller, we found new ways to create great memories at my mom's house on Christmas Day. One year, we watched video of Christmas celebrations from the past - from back when my grandma was still alive. Another year, we watched Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV, cheering all the way. And one year, we watched Christmas movies.

And that was Alma's point. We adapt at Christmas because we have no choice, but as we do, we find new traditions and new memories.

I pray that whatever situation you find yourself in this Christmas (if you celebrate the holiday), that you will find healing from your losses while also finding new reasons to laugh and be grateful. I'll be thinking about you.

You won't hear from me next week. But I'll be back on December 30. Have a merry Christmas!

Now, let's get to this week's thoughts about slowing down and living deeper:

• Last week, I sent you a link to a story called The White Envelope. One person read it and decided to take the idea to her church board and proposed starting a white envelope project this Christmas. No word on whether it was approved, but what a great idea. 

 

• From C.S. Lewis in the Screwtape Letters, in regard to silence: "[The demon Screwtape writes:] Music and silence—how I detest them both! ... We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth. The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end. But I admit we are not yet loud enough, or anything like it." Defy the spirit of Screwtape this holiday season. Make music and find silence. 

 

• Former major league baseball pitcher, Jeremy Affeldt, wrote an interesting article this week called The Joy of Waiting about the advent season that you might find beneficial. It reminded me that I interviewed Affeldt for a newspaper article many moons ago, long before he was a three-time World Series champion, and he mentioned how difficult it was for him to wait on God. Here's a link to that story if you are interested.

 

• As somebody who is bothered by increasing noise and traffic in the city, I found this article about soundscaping to be interesting. My only problem with soundscaping is, it involves dense vegetation in my yard and I would prefer to have none. Maybe I really do need to consider moving.

 

• I love the pull quote at the top of this article, titled Why Brilliant People Take Breaks, Often. It say, "Because almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes. Including you."

 

• Martin Scorsese has a new movie coming out (in the U.S.) next Friday called "Silence." According to this Reuters story, it is based on a 1966 novel about two Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who travel to Japan in the 17th century to search for their missing mentor during an era when Christians faced the real possibility of crucifixion, burning or drowning.

 

• If you haven't already done so, consider picking up Shannon Kuzmich's four-book essay e-book series, "The Chronicles of Formation." Her voice is genuine and will make you feel less alone. She's offering the first one, Awakening, for free on Amazon. Books two and three (Leaving and Following) are free on instaFreebie (free for joining her email list). Book four, Abiding, is available for purchase on Amazon.

The Kindle version of Mercy Inn: A Christmas Novella is just $0.99 for the next few days. Pick up a copy if you like cozy Christmas stories. And the end of the e-book, you'll have a chance to pick up a free 8,000-word short story about what happens to the three main characters after they leave Mercy Inn.

If you like what you're reading here and want to support it, then forward this to a friend who might be interested in joining my email list, or consider buying a book or becoming a patron.

Have a great weekend!