VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. My wife has decorated our house for the holiday. We have mostly traditional Christmas music on our system. It is all beautiful.

 

Another thing that has happened is the weather. Here in southern Georgia we usually have very mild winters. But, since the beginning of December, the weather has gotten much cooler. Now, I understand it is nothing like what is experienced up north, but it is a shock to the systems of us southerners. It also is quite nice because cooler weather is a lot more Christmasy. 

 

In years past when our kids were small, it was always a treat to shop for their presents. I also enjoyed shopping for gifts for my wife. I have to admit though, when I saw the toys available to my kids, I was a bit jealous. They were much more elaborate than when I was a youngster. Had they been around then I would have had a problem growing up. 

 

I remember well the looks on the little one's faces when they saw the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. One Christmas stands out. A friend of ours got my son a toy power lawn mower. When he pushed the mower around the house, he almost broke the sound barrier. It sounded like a real mower. Guess what we got to hear all day. 

 

Well, they grew up and have families of their own. Even the grandchildren are now grown. We have decided there is no way to shop for their Christmas anymore so we take the chicken's way out and just write checks. It isn't as exciting, but it gets the job done. Besides, we just cannot keep up with all the electronic gadgets that are out there.

 

The next big change in our Christmas is the receiving of gifts. Like so many people our age, if we want something, we go get it. Our Christmas list today would cover things like pandemics and world peace. A cure for cancer would be nice also. Obviously those items cannot be bought. 

 

So, we give thanks for what we have. We give thanks for our family. Thanks for the blessing of another day and the good health we enjoy. Some of our family will be with us for Christmas dinner. I will prepare prime rib, twice baked potatoes, roasted asparagus, and we will top it off with another of my wife's special homemade pecan pies. That is our traditional Christmas feast. We ask everyone to park their special diets at the door for this meal. 

 

Finally, we give thanks for the holiday and for the true meaning of it all. It is a celebration of the birth of the Christ child. We will play the traditional carols that proclaim the event for all to hear. We will sing along. Regardless of how we sound, we know our music will be heard in Heaven. We will relish the peace and the love that the season brings. And as we sleep and dream, visions of sugar plums will dance in our heads. We hope the same for you.

 

Ron Scarbro December 7, 2020