Our Christmas Eve service always opens with "O Come, All Ye Faithful," and those who know me well know that I can’t sing it. Something about the pageantry of the processional, the brass accompaniment, and my throat catches every time. I find so many of my Christmas memories and feelings attached to music. My mother… Continue reading Christmas Triggers
Month: December 2019
Looking East
My friend Abby (not her real name) darted into the Christmas party, looking rushed yet still so put together. Festive sweater, earrings, angel necklace, even a glittery barrette. But once she moved through the crowd, once we were alone, the smile faded. “I want to burst into tears right here, right now!” Abby said. I… Continue reading Looking East
Poinsettias and Fur
This week would have been my mother’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about my dad. Poinsettias on the altar at Belle Meade Methodist Isn’t it amazing how objects and events can trigger memories, can arouse feelings of grief and joy. For me, one of those triggers was the poinsettia display on our church’s Sunday… Continue reading Poinsettias and Fur
Lunch Meat
As a child, I craved bologna. Fast forward 40 years and I have become it. I grew up in the south as the turbulent 60s were melding into the psychedelic 70s—the daughter of a working dad and stay-at-home-mom who made homemade butterscotch brownies that were as routine to Friday nights as those Brady and Partridge… Continue reading Lunch Meat
