Christmas music fills my ears with beautiful sounds and my heart with feelings that reach back through the years to family and friends that I love and who have shared in my life experiences. Christmas music reminds me of St. Paul's Midnight Service on Christmas Eve, of the Candlelight Service at Plymouth with James playing the organ, and of both the early evening Family Service and the late evening Christmas Eve service at Claremont UCC with the bells playing, Wayne singing "O Holy Night," and joining with friends and family to sing "The Hallelujah Chorus" as Christmas Day arrives. Christmas is singing "The Messiah" with family and friends through the years. It's watching all of the musical programs from the various colleges and churches across the country who open their doors for us all to share in their celebrations. It's seeing the faces of beloved family and friends in our heart's and mind's eyes, it's seeing the faces of loved ones now, and it's sharing our love with everyone around us.
"Let me not wrap, stack, box, bag, tie, tag, bundle, seal, keep Christmas. Christmas kept is liable to mold. Let me give Christmas away, unwrapped, by exuberant armfuls. Let me share, dance, live Christmas unpretentiously, merrily, responsibly with overflowing hands, tireless steps and sparkling eyes. Christmas given away will stay fresh—even until it comes again." - Jan Karon
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