There is something magical about the holiday season: our mood may rise with the anticipation of repeating treasured traditions. These shared experiences bind us together as a family, as groups, as a community. They are something familiar to look forward to. It might be grandma’s fruitcake that is really not everyone’s favourite. When the aroma of cookies and other delights waft through the house our mouths start to water. It’s the tree trimming and counting down the days. And there is nothing more heartwarming than watching a young child select the “perfect” Christmas gift, wrap it and then with sparkling eyes try to keep the secret. There is always the “keeping of commitments” to churches, clubs, and other gatherings. It all builds to that special day, and then it becomes but a memory to reflect on.
My seasonal to-do list includes cookies to bake, a tree to decorate, cards to write, and gifts to wrap and send. A brisk walk in evening snow to view other festive decorations and twinkling lights puts me in the mood, or perhaps the classic A Christmas Carol, or Christmas on 42nd Street. I don’t expect to hear any carolers on my deck so I’ll turn on the radio or pull out my Christmas CDs. And of course I’ll Zoom or FaceTime with my kids and grandkids.
Christmas this year will be different. I reflect on Pat Thiesen’s article, “Gratitude” in the Winter 2020 issue of PostScript. There are a multitude of things for which to be grateful. So I want to reach out to friends and loved ones and once again sing those familiar words from “Here We Come A-Caroling”:
“Love and joy come to you,
And to you glad Christmas too…”
Grace Wilson is President of BCRTA
