What an awesome weekend this past one was. It was the perfect combination of music, fun and family, just right for the final days heading up to Christmas.
It also included a couple of nice surprises. One was seeing my son and his 14-year-old play together on a stage for the first time. The other was less personal but a real highlight nonetheless.
Walking to work each morning gives me lots of time for reflection and rumination, musing and pondering. During this physical and mental exercise one day last week, something dawned on me. There’s been an element of Christmas that seems to be missing. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, heard it or been part of it. Then my husband mentioned it too as we were heading down to a concert on Friday night. What has happened to carolling?
Over my life I have taken part in this special way of sharing Christmas cheer many times through many different groups — from Sweet Adelines to church choirs. Seeing the smiles we brought was very rewarding. And turnabout is nice too. I remember answering the door at my home several years ago to a group of joyful faces singing choruses of peace and goodwill while Christmas lights glistened off gently falling snowflakes. It was a treat for eyes and ears.
It’s been forever, but, life has a way of bringing us what we need. So it was Friday as we were grabbing a quick bite at a downtown café prior to our concert that we noticed four people in Victorian dress enter the building, then delighted in their 15-minute performance around our table. Beautiful voices singing some of the nicest music there is. What a lovely Christmas present.
So, while I might not be able to share the experience in song with you here, I can offer some illustrations of one of Christmas’s nicest traditions:
