As I grow older, Christmas seems more a time of reflection. Christmases of my childhood. Christmases of my daughter's childhood. Of course, Jesus is still the reason for the season. There's still joy and magic. Yet, as life happens, events flavor the season a bit differently. It's not the same. It seems different each year. This began for me when my grandfather passed on Christmas Eve 1981. I was 8-years-old and had rarely seen my mom cry. Being that age, the loss wasn't profound. I'm sure that I remembered him throughout the year and the following Christmas Eves. Yet, his physical absence wasn't something I dwelt upon. Flash forward to Christmas 2024, and I'm reflecting on many things. Last year at this time, both my parents were in a Mississippi hospital. I was realizing Mom likely had days to live. Dad could be shortly behind her. So many emotions, thoughts, and prayers swirled those last three weeks of December - three weeks that felt like three months....
The adventures and thoughts of a Mississippi boy and his family living in the Washington - Baltimore region