As the days of February slowly approach and the temperature timidly toys with warming up, experimenting with an occasional day in the 40s, I was reflecting this morning on Winter as a season. I wanted to share the following.
Christmas will forever be, for me, the crowning jewel of this whitest of seasons. As a child growing up I experienced winters in the mid-west and in the south. With a father in the military my childhood was spent moving from to different houses and environments every four years. One constant though was my grandparents’ house. Every year our Christmas tradition was to travel back to my mom’s parent's house for a Christmas eve celebration that brought together large portions of a large family. In a not-over-large house, there would be my immediate family, Grandma and Grandpa, handfuls of aunts and uncles, dozens of cousins, and plenty of food.
We were never cold with that many bodies piled together in one house, and there was never a shortage of food. My Grandma would prepare food days ahead of time, and towards the end of our tradition at that house people would bring over dishes potluck style to spare her the preparation time. Relatives would come back from far and near. We would be able to catch up regardless of how many times we had or had not seen each other since last Christmas.
After the Christmas eve family dinner, many of us would carpool to my Grandparent’s church where they would proudly fill several pews with their returned family. After Christmas inspired sermons, many carols, and a candle lit “O Holy Night” we would end with “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and sometimes my grandfather would let me ring the Church bell at Midnight to announce Christmas was here.
And so, growing up my idea of winter came to focus around family gathered together, food shared, warmth, and community. Looking back now and seeing what Christmas has historically meant, I read other's stories and realize that mine are in the company of those privileged few who have family to join with, who have homes to gather in, and who have food to put on the table. I see now that not everyone has those things, and how lucky I was to have this experience. Come time to recount what I’m grateful for, winter makes it easy not to take things for granted.
Winter is a time of contrasts. While it is frozen outside, we can be thankful for the simplicity of a warm room. While the fields are barren, we can be thankful for the simplicity of an orange, or a slice of warm bread. While the parks and sidewalks are sparcely peopled, we can be thankful for our community of family and friends.
