Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or another tradition this year, we are all gifted with a chance at renewal—of hope, of joy, and of a life we’ve always dreamed of celebrating at this time of the year. Maybe you grew up watching the movies they now show annually as “holiday timeless classics,” and there’s music, a plot, Hollywood stars and a feel-good ending that reminds you that miracles can and do happen, and even to regular people like us.
Life moves quickly and change can happen overnight as we all know. We all respond to good times in different ways—some of us are open with our emotions and others keep our emotions close in check. The same response happens when the news is sad. Holidays remind of us of treasured events in our past—recent and distant. If our life is full of one thing consistently—it is change.
The holidays are an encapsulation of our memories from the very first time we saw a group of packages with our names on them to six decades later as we watch new generations developing their personalities as they approached wrapped packages with anticipation and delight.
Then, too, there’s time spent remembering days when all of the family gathered around a single dining table and maybe overflowed to a second table and good-natured conversation. Families gathered together for infinite quantities of sharing stories, remembering family members newly departed. Simply by saying their names aloud and remembering what they loved best about the holidays, they stay alive in our hearts. This is how we remember people we never even met. Our loved ones talk about the people who they loved and who loved them. The more frequently we hear stories about our ancestors, the more they come “alive” to us. Photographs help so much to put the life in full memory mode.
Writing down the memories of our senior loved ones, especially expressed on Christmas Day, will become like gold to you in 2, 3, or 10 years. You will never regret recording, video or audio, the original voices who tell the stories. Even if your home ‘movies’ are cell phone recordings with kids ducking in and out to photobomb and wave and laugh…they will become more prized with each passing year. One day you will be the one who is being remembered, so don’t be shy in sharing your feelings. Let your love flow and let your grief out; both actions make you stronger each day.
May your holidays be filled with voices raised in laughter, good food available in abundance, enjoyed in warmth and safety, and may there be peace in your heart as we celebrate these special holy holidays. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!
Cody D. Jones ’02
Owner & Community Member
