"I've been playing Christmas music all week," I say turning over sausage frying on the stove.
"Not real Christmas music," she yawns.It is true that I prefer the rock-and-roll versions of the old carols ... Cheech & Chong's "Santa Claus and his old Lady" ... and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" ... today Gene Autry is singing "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" which Maddie obviously likes.
Cassidy the 8 year old and Laurel the 10 year old stumble in ready for Christmas to begin but I chide them to keep quite because Sarah's still asleep.
Fleeing the kitchen for the bedroom they dive into bed with her and within a nanosecond they're opening presents.
It's a good morning ... gifts ... warmth ... happiness ... love.
No sooner do we settle into the wonderfulness of it ... we have to leave ... and I'm rushing the girls to get ready."
"Oh please," Sarah says, "like you've ever been anywhere on time."
Several minutes later we're piled in and heading to the Nursing Home.
"Nobody ought to be alone on Christmas" by Darlene Love is my favorite Christmas song and here we are ... with wonderful friends from Bar Church ... gifts from Bowie Seafood ... wheeling in beds, wheelchairs, walkers and smiles.
It's eerily similar to men and women ... wise or not so much ... coming into a crowded stinking place bearing gifts ... oppressive regulations and security locks keep everyone in like Roman Centurions ... and out of nowhere there's a light ... perhaps it's a lighter-ness ... to the darkness of living.
And we sing.
And the people who live there are excited they're not alone on Christmas.
Presents a
re given along with hugs.
There is clapping, the shaking of tambourines, dancing and drool ... but for a moment or two anyway ... there is Joy to the World.
So Joy to the world.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea.
Joy to you and me.
Happy Christmas Everyone!
