Thursday, December 15, 2008 Hillside Farm, Meigs County
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Hillside Farm, Meigs County
Today is the fifth day of Chanukah, it is also Christmas and by coincidence two days after my sixty eighth birthday. It is a time of year filled with the ultra pressures of merchandising and marketing and sometimes it is hard to focus on the love of family and friends. I remember that this year the sound of Seasonal Music was filling the stores in Athens as we shopped for Thanksgiving. Anyway, such is life in the 21st century.
It had been a busy year for me and it was such a blessing to be home for the Holidays. Vanessa cooked a fabulous birthday dinner for me and Wally and Donnie came down from Columbus and John came over from Carpenter and as we lit the candles for the third day of Chanukah a peace settled over the house as we said our prayers. As we were sitting at the table, Wally was remembering his father who was an Auschwitz survivor. All of a sudden, Izze said, ‘Excuse me, excuse me people’s.’ We stopped talking and listened and she followed up with, ‘I’m Jewish!’ Laughter and hugs filled the room.
A Christmas card from my friend Bill Haile’s daughter had arrived earlier in the day. Bill had been my best friend from back in the neighborhood when I was a kid and he passed away suddenly the first of November. In envelope was a picture of Bill and I back in Tappahannock when we were kids. It was summer and Bill and I sit next to each other in his Dad’s boat. There is a little seven horse power motor on it and Bill is in command of the vessel with his hand on the tiller. We are still in the dawn of our lives and a long day stretches out in front of us. In my memory the boat was a little speedboat… a mini yacht. In reality, the paint is peeling and the motor would be a valuable antique today. It reminds me of that Alan Jackson song, ‘Daddy Let Me Drive.’ There we were…
…and here I am. My son is about the same age we were in the picture and as I look about our house on this morning of the 25th of December, our daughter is playing with her first electric train set. Thomas The Tank Engine is ruling the roost.
Last night we went to Vanessa’s Mom’s house and there were sisters, brothers and cousins there. Lila and Montana sang Christmas songs. Lila Mae’s voice was so beautiful it brought tears to my eye… well they both brought tears to my eyes.
In this moment on this day it is very peaceful here at Hillside Farm today. May this moment embrace all the dear ones.