Health & Fitness
In Praise of a Brown (or Slightly 'Sugar Coated') Christmas
Many are complaining about the prospects of a brown Christmas. I, for one, am glad for a brown Christmas because of the connections made and the lives saved.
Until our recent dusting of snow, I've been hearing a lot of concerns and even complaints about the prospect of a "brown Christmas." It strikes me as funny that the stuff that we complain about in February we crave in December, at least around a certain holiday.
Remember last Christmas? I do. It was one of the snowiest Decembers in recent memory and it was memorable for what it did to the celebrations of the season.
Last year we couldn't have our church's Children's Christmas Pageant on Dec. 12 because the girl who was to play Mary was solidly snowed in and her family couldn't even get out of their driveway. Last year the man who was going to sing "O Holy Night" at one of our Christmas Eve services was unable to get to church because of the snow and poor driving conditions.
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Every year around Christmas, depending on the amount of snow, we have some auto fatalities. The trickier the weather, the more fatalities we have in this state. I, for one, am glad that the forecast is for clear roads on Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day.
Don't get me wrong, I still love snow and white. I was born and raised in Minnesota and over the years have enjoyed ice skating, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. I love the way the snow brightens the day and the night. I even love the ice crystals in the air when it's 40-below. Even when it’s cold and snowy, when I send my dog into the backyard, I like to step outside and get a whiff of that cool clean air.
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It's just that snow, especially when it comes fast and furious, can get in the way of a lot of things—not just pageants and Christmas Eve services, but family reunions and friendly gatherings that happen this time of year. I'm glad that this year's
pageant wasn't canceled and that everyone who wants to come, can come to
Christmas Eve services.
Even last year it all worked out. The Christmas Pageant came to pass on the Sunday following the snow storm. We simply added it to the planned Christmas music festival and had a lovely, full service of story and song. The man who was going to sing "O Holy Night" is going to sing at our 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service this year. It all works out in the end.
But I, for one, am glad for the connections made and the lives saved by a brown Christmas.