What a wonderful afternoon! I am truly a blessed man! We had a delicious roast beef dinner, good conversations with friends, lots of laughter and a sweet program. There were Christmas carols, readings of several types, a quiet prayer, some special music and an utterly indescribable Jingle Bell quartet that went horribly wrong, but in absolutely the best way! No matter how hard they tried to do it as they practiced, it didn't quite work out right. Nobody was cooperating. And yet it may well have been the most joyous and wonderful rendition of Jingle Bells I've ever heard. I honestly wonder what could be more precious and joyously tender than a room full of smiling seniors all shaking happy fists full of noisy, jingling bells while a quartet of goofy costumed women tried to corral us all into doing it the way they planned? It was wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Truly a Christmas memory I hope to never forget.Earlier in the program, my good friend Esther Dalberg shared a Keilloresque story of Christmas memories of years past. She couldn't remember all the old song titles in English, so she recited them in Swedish. And as she closed her remembrances, she spoke of her excited, newly baptized 7 year old granddaughter wanting to read the Christmas story to the family last year. Esther closed by quietly sharing with us her deep, heartfelt desire that the children pick up the stories where all of us will soon leave them off - if only all the old stories could be remembered and carried on.
Thanks for a lovely afternoon, my old friends! I have deeply enjoyed your stories. I will carry them on. Merry Christmas to each one of you!
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