So Many Dishes

A post showed up in my Facebook memories this morning that I must have written on a Sunday, because it referenced a sermon at our church that morning on the spiritual discipline of simplicity. And I quoted one of my favorite lines about Christmas, which comes from the Garfield Christmas special: “it’s not the giving. It’s not the getting. It’s the loving.”

Every Christmas season is different, but this one really feels special to me. Two years ago, when Ken was dealing with medical issues and so much pain, I threw myself into baking and decorating, preparing the music for our church Christmas Eve service, and using the busy-ness of the holiday to distract myself. Last year, with him recovered, we were in full holiday mode together.

I hadn’t expected this Christmas to be any different from the last, but I hadn’t anticipated that it would be my turn to deal with orthopedic problems, pain, and limitations on what I can do. Those limitations were hard to accept at first. It bothered me that I couldn’t manage to unpack our “village,” which has decorated our bookcases for many years. Although we haven’t had much in the way of outdoor decorations in recent years, this year there are none. I admit to being angry and frustrated. Ken has been an absolute saint, because, in addition to taking on more of the day-to-day tasks, he’s had to put up with my moodiness.

And then something clicked. I don’t know what triggered it, but I realized it wasn’t the end of the world if there aren’t as many decorations this year. Nobody will starve if I don’t make another batch of cookies. (Ken suggested a store-bought pie crust for our traditional cranberry-apple pie, but there are certain standards that must be maintained 😀). I started to find joy in our simpler Christmas.

I’m taking Garfield’s message to heart. I choose to focus on time and experiences with family and friends. The wonderful concert that we saw with Alice and Dante, that I mentioned in my last post, is clearly going to be a highlight of the season. I’m looking forward, as always, to our candlelight Christmas Eve service, making music with some of my best friends. When we celebrated our early Christmas for Luke, we ended up pulling out some old photo albums and reminiscing. Alice is going to spend a day with us next week, partly to learn how to make stuffed cabbage, but partly to dig deeper into those albums and family history. It’s a reminder that’s it’s the people and the experiences that make holidays special, not the stuff.

In 2020, when we were experiencing that “distanced” Covid Christmas, all the music for our online church services was done via an iPhone app. Those recordings left a lot to be desired, but this one, where Alice joined in singing, with Ken on drums and our dear, late friend Peilin Ko playing piano, was one of the best. The song is from The Muppet Christmas Carol. The title says it all: Bless Us All. https://mixcord.co/acapella/p/0nJiDb_-xIbJALTkA4q9cw/