Christmas Quiet

Capitol 2018

A different kind of quiet. “Christmas now” versus “Christmas past.” Part of a Dickens story…maybe, put certainly part of my story and probably many others. So, what’s different? Hmmm. When I was a little kid, Christmas was exciting, noisy, impatient, musical, and interactive. As an older teen my circle expanded and became even more filled with the sounds of joy and excitement. Secular? Christian? Certainly both, I think. As a young adult I traveled back to the parent’s and in-law’s homes for Christmas and the Holiday sounds continued. When Diane and I married some 33 years ago, I was in law school with a very loud and joyous group and we celebrated together as hard and loud as you’d expect students (even of my advanced age) to do. Thirty years ago we had our first child and silence during the Holidays was unheard of.

I’m an “older” dad and for me, that’s been a blessing since I’ve carried the joyful noise of Christmas into my 70s. Until now. Now, it’s quiet. When the three kids were growing up I’d write small “poems,” usually knockoffs from a poem like “Night Before Christmas.” and cut them up into small pages of four lines each. Each stanza was written to guide the child to where I’d hidden the next stanza. I would hide them throughout the house. They knew that sometime during this treasure hunt, they would discover a small toy or candy or dollar bill for each of them. They would take turns reading the clues but would all search for the next one. Each night we’d gather, read, laugh, search, and have fun. It was a break or transition from the busy days at work and school to the time of family and fun and waiting for Christmas Day.

But now, it’s quiet. Diane or I open the Calendar door sometime during the day, no fanfare, no poem. But, memories flow when we look at the empty space behind the door. Until today, I hadn’t noticed the quiet.

The image above was taken outside the Capitol in 2018, flags at half mast honoring President George HW Bush who had just passed. The image below was taken this morning of our Advent Calendar.

Our Advent Calendar