A Christmas Trip for Everyone

The Christmas season is upon us and families are dashing, registers are cashing, and calm is crashing. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hysteria, that “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World” seem as dated as a chestnut roasting. But I’m here to “Go Tell it on the Mountains” and any other place that wants to take back this holiday. I have a great idea for a Christmas trip that everyone needs to take and everyone will love, eventually. I am talking about a trip down memory lane.

We have lost another good guy in our community, Mr. Tom Steen. Tom had a long history in Grove, growing up here, teaching, serving as school superintendant, and raising a family. He was a part of so many people’s lives on different levels. There was a wonderful article on the front page of the paper. If you were on Face Book you saw the huge outpouring of memories and words of respect that were posted in his memory. And although I’m sure his wife and children are touched by these words, I’m sure they would have loved for Tom to have heard them while he was living. All of us that have lost a loved one probably share that regret.

Have you read the book “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom? A short little book that became a movie is about life lessons, but the part that has always stuck with me was the famous “living funeral”. The idea here is that when a person knows they are coming to the end, like Morrie, they can ask to have the memorial now while one is still living so they can attend. Things can be discussed, remembered and celebrated together. Isn’t this a wonderful concept? Of course, there are many times that we haven’t had a warning of the end and there’s no chance to perform a Living Funeral. That’s why this Christmas I’m encouraging all of us to take a trip down memory lane with those we love.

It will start with planning the trip. Thinking about memories of Christmases past, remembering traditions and special gifts and times together. Luckily you don’t have to go online, or spend any money for this trip preparation. The next step will be departure. Someone needs to be the leader. Ask friends and family to get their faces out of the technology screens, leave cell phones in another room, turn off the TV, and gather together to… remember this?... Have conversation with each other, in the same room. From there the trip is pretty flexible, someone leads off and others will follow. But taking the time to tell someone what they love, respect, remember about them while they can still hear it, would be a wonderful gift.

If you are kinda timid about taking this trip, cut this article out, underline these words: “I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS” and leave it for your family to see. If you aren’t going to be together, maybe sending a hand written note to someone, ya know, kinda like a postcard saying “wish you were here.” Better now than waiting to join in FaceBook posts later.

I hope you have “A Merry Little Christmas” and a wonderful Christmas trip down memory lane.