“Now open your mouths wider, like this, so the sound can come joyfully out,” the grown-up director reminds the children before the Christmas program. Since the Cove church sang acapella, little voices need not sound above piano, organ, or guitars to be heard. And there is nothing like the chorus for Angels we have heard on high, to bring out those perfectly rounded caroling mouths around all 18 syllabications of the Gloria!
I’m remembering Christmases past, the memories that last: Mom’s Bethlehem and wisemen black silhouettes taped to the front window, our sagebrush Christmas tree with a modest amount of gifts beneath it, all those homemade candies plus the shiny, store-bought hard candy, and, of course, the Christmas program at church.
I have learned that when it comes to remembering, ‘two heads’ can be much better than my one! Last December when I read to my Reader’s Group my Christmas poem, “Twas that night in December” from my just-published book, Marlene Kropf surprised and pleased me by joining us! Marlene grew up in the Sheridan Mennonite Church in Oregon, so the Christmas traditions she enjoyed were of the same kind. “And the peanuts,” she added. “The brown paper sacks passed out after the Christmas programs at church had unshelled peanuts, along with that shiny hard Christmas candy and the orange,” she reminded me. Of course! How could I have forgotten those peanuts?!
This goes to show that memories of Christmas are meant to be shared, to ensure that all the important pieces are brought out, and the picture completed.
This same principle applies to putting together a collection of stories about life in Indian Cove, throughout its history. A letter is soon going out to everyone who has lived in the Cove, asking again for contributions in order to bring together all the details that will give us the BIG picture. Please, let’s be sure to not forget something that may seem small, like peanuts! Each person is holding important memory pieces.
Here’s to Christmas past!
DitchWriter 