A Paul & Shaw Christmas
Before we begin any of this, we must take the time to say thank you to all those service men and women around the world who won’t be with their families this day as they protect our families and our freedom to celebrate Christmas. No loneliness tops being alone on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. And to all those who have to work this night, this day, those who patrol our streets, those who care for patients in hospitals, those manning the firehouses, those who keep our lights on, our streets plowed…and all those who cook the food and show up to feed the hungry…THANK YOU.
“What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more!”
It is truly a silent night.
Here.
No cars have driven down our street for the last hour.
The woods out back quiet as well.
In our house no one is stirring, not even Boomer our dog.
It is truly a silent night.
Here.
Out of 360-some nights, this one is by far my favorite of the year.
Every year on this night I sit in my recliner, alone downstairs, a warm cup of Cinnamon Tea to sip, all the lights turned out except for those wrapped around our Christmas tree.
Some years, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas plays within my headphones.
This year though, it is silent.
Before me the Christmas tree that my wife, Barb, decorated holds memories that now stretch back half a century, 50 years, and longer if you count the ornaments given to us by our parents back in the early days of our marriage when we couldn’t afford to buy our own. Years from now ornaments we give our children will hang on their Christmas tree, memories of us and those Christmas days of long ago for them.
On our tree hangs the baby sneakers of our children who are now in their early 40’s and late 30’s.
On our tree hangs ornaments from jobs and places, names and faces. Hallmark and handmade.
It is our memory tree as I’m sure you have one too.
And that is the question I asked of my former BASS roommates, Paul Elias and Shaw Grigsby.
This question: “What is your favorite ornament on your Christmas tree…and why.”
On their memory tree I also asked this: “What is your favorite Christmas memory.”
And finally, this: “What is your Christmas wish.”
Their answers, word for word…comes now.
“Christmas is a box of tree ornaments that have become part of the family.”
“What is your favorite ornament on your christmas tree…and why?”
Paul Elias…this one
“The reason for the season.”
Shaw Grigsby
“It’s not an ornament exactly but it is our star/snowflake tree topper we put on top of the Christmas tree, we’ve had it for years, when I see that up there I know it is Christmas.”
As I write this, alone in my home office, keyboard scootched under the one desk lamp, bb and Boomer asleep at the other end of the house, I see a msg sent to me about an hour ago from bb: “I forgot to turn off the lights on the Christmas tree can you get them.”
So, I break from writing and head downstairs.
There in the darkness, one small corner of the living room is splashed in red, blue, green.
All is quiet except for the Christmas memories within my head.
On the dinning room table sits a pair of headphones, next to stacks of Christmas cd’s.
It only takes a minute to load the stereo’s cd-player, only takes a minute to connect the wireless stuff, only takes a minute to sink into my recliner and listen…
“Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse
In my mind, I want you to be free
For all of our friends, to listen to me
Now hear what I say, we wish you
A Merry Christmas to each one of you.”
Silent Night Intro
The Temptations
And so it might be unusual but I’m calling it a night.
I’ll finish writing this tomorrow.
Tonight, with the fireplace on, the rest of the house dark, time for Christmas music and tiny little plastic Christmas lights…
“The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much.”
“What is your favorite Christmas memory?”
Paul: “Family. It’s the memory of my family at Christmas, every Christmas my family comes from all over…
…I worry about them getting here safe and getting back home safe, I worry but then when they are here, it’s the best gift, we all get together for a big meal, my family db, so it’s not just one memory but just the feeling of happiness when they are all here safe and we have probably over 30 of them coming here that’s my favorite memory.”
Paul and his wife Kristy…and one BIG dog
Shaw: “When I was a kid we would celebrate on Christmas Eve with loading the family into our car and driving around town looking at all the Christmas lights, I remember this one street, the whole street was lined with candles but the funny part db…
…when we would leave the house there wasn’t any Christmas gifts under the tree at all but when we came back it was loaded under there, we were told that Santa must have come when we were gone but in reality what happened is that inevitably right before we left the driveway my mother would suddenly say she forgot something and dad would stop the car and my mother would jump out and run back into the house supposedly looking for what she forgot but in reality she would be dashing around pulling all the present from their hiding places and putting them under the tree. Took us awhile to figure that out as kids.” (laughs)
Shaw and his wife Polly
“what is Your Christmas Wish for your fans.”
“I wish for them a joyful Christian and Christ filled Christmas”
“I wish for all of them Peace and Joy and Jesus in their hearts.”
And So…
It is to this child, me, that I revert to come Christmas Eve.
A child who believed in Santa Claus, a child who left out cookies by the cardboard fireplace that somehow appeared in our living room every Christmas.
A child who believed all things were good and all people happy.
It is to this child that I revert to come Christmas Eve.
My Christmas wish for you comes in two parts:
May you become a child this Christmas Eve, may you believe all things are good, all people are happy…and…two…
…may every day after Christmas Eve you work to make all things good…
…and all people happy.
db
