Thursday, December 13, 2012

Past

Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is a perennial classic this time of year. There have been many incarnations of Scrooge, from Lionel Barrymore to Mister Magoo to Jim Carrey. It's one of my favorite stories, probably because I like to think that mean people are really just troubled people who can be reformed.

If you will recall, Mr. Scrooge is visited by three ghosts in one night, who show him his past, his present and his future. Looking back at his past makes Ebenezer wistful. Do you think back to your Christmases past this time of year? Maybe it was the last Christmas you spent with a loved one who is now gone. Perhaps it was the year all you wanted was that special Cabbage Patch Kid, and you got it. It might have been the first Christmas you spent together as a couple.

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when my sons were six and ten respectively. We went to a little town up in the mountains to spend the day, a few days before Christmas. Their grandmother was with us, and she could sometimes be difficult, but that day she was happy. Snow is a novelty in southern Calfornia, and it was at a high enough elevation that there was even a bit of snow that day. We did some shopping and  bought some mistletoe and as we walked around, my younger son in a Santa hat would hold up the mistletoe and give us all kisses. His brother in particular found this disgusting, and of course the more his brother hated it, the more he wanted to get him under the mistletoe and kiss him. His dad and I let him do it for a while, but finally we told him to leave his brother alone. I close my eyes and I can still remember his little boy laugh.

What are some of your favorite Christmases past? And what if the very best one hasn't even happened yet?

Susan

"Lumberjack Christmas/No One Can Save You From Christmases Past" written by Sulfjan Stevens






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