'Tis the Season

Let's get this straight before we even begin: I am not a Scrooge. I love Christmas like you can't believe. I spent years counting down the days until Christmas, starting on December 26 (Ok, so part of that was probably because it became a cool trademark, like a party trick: my friends would always ask me how many days until Christmas and, no matter what day of the year it was, I KNEW. Still, it started because of the love.). It has always been a magical time of which I adored being a part (Did you catch the awkward and non-colloquial sentence construction? That's what I get for proof-reading my posts and for knowing that ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong. Ugh, so annoying. Ignorance really is bliss.).

However, the past couple of years have been a teensy bit less . . . magical. There are a number of factors that contribute, the most significant one being heat. Neither Arizona nor Dominica lends itself much to the fabled ideal of the white Christmas that I am accustomed to. Maybe it's also partially because they are Christmases with only Wonderman, whom I adore, but I am more used to parental units and siblings and shared understanding of tradition. It may also be connected to the lack of space in our living arrangements (ok, and this year it's also the lack of availability), which has lead to the significant absence of a Christmas tree in our home. Or maybe it's the gifts that we are not buying, for each other or anyone else (again with the money and available gift supply being minimal [not that there are none, just that they are few - do you think Wonderman realizes the significance of the huge hint I gave him yesterday as I showed him a hand bag that I would REALLY like to have and told him it would be a good present? If not, I sure hope it will still be there in a week]).

All explanations aside, I must say - I know Christmas is coming and I am excited, but it also sort of feels like just another day. Meh. I definitely wasn't feeling the furor of the holiday spirit. Until last night.

I work with a few other women in our church teaching an English class to mostly Haitian immigrants. It's been a good experience and I've learned stuff and usually only grumble a little bit when I have to leave Wonderman at home alone while I go off galavanting about and teaching English. Last night we had a Christmas party with pizza and cookies, definitely festive fare. Everyone was sitting around, munching quietly, and I felt a distinct lack of celebration. Then we decided to sing some Christmas carols. We got out the hymn books and all sang in English "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night." I tell you what, I have never heard "Silent Night" sung quite so boisterously in perhaps all my life, but the Christmas spirit that it brought swelled up around me so that I couldn't help but get a little vehclemt. I loved it. Now it feels like Christmas, despite all the setbacks.

Conclusion: All those heartwarming stories about people from different nations and cultures finding commonground at Christmas time, specifically while singing "Silent Night," must be true.