Traditions
Hello Readers,
This week I found myself pondering the question, 'If you could have something from your childhood (such as a toy/album) what would it be?' I instantly knew my answer, but it was not something I could find on E-bay or Amazon. It was my father's Christmas poems. Every year, on Christmas morning, we would get up before the break of dawn, and find many things: loaded stockings, massive amounts of colorfully wrapped presents under our lit tree, and in the tree itself a handwritten note. Our names, Leslie, Helen, and Amy would each be easily found on the outside or top. Inside was Dad's distinctive drafting-learned handwriting. He always used thick colorful construction paper, the type every child of the 1970's remembers. Dad's style of poetry was a mixture of Dr. Seus' rhythm with a sort of third-person Mark Twain storytelling. The daughter was Tom Sawyer and Dad used her current life as content. The Dr. Seus-like rhythms often made us stumble and laugh as each read aloud one at a time. This tradition was a great way to start the day, laughing together, often with tears in our eyes. While I am regretful that I no longer have those poems, I do have many recordings of my Dad leading worship, I am looking forward to sharing them. I am grateful to my parents for the many traditions they used to raise me.
What stood out to me (links below):
- "When I was a kid..."
- Sister announcing
- 3rd grade 'tradition'
- Mom's reminder
- Don't miss this on track 1-- 13:37-16:38 -- AMAZING MUSIC! with an unexpected but understandable response from the congregation
- Track 2 is the continuation of the sermon by JH
- Track 2 at about 8 minutes is the Guitars Etc. instrumental music of Have Thine Own Way
Thanks for reading.
Stay well,
AmyBH
Hello comment readers -- I was wondering, what are your childhood traditions and/or things you wish you still had?
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting and these fabulous moments listening to Mom, Dad, and that fabulous music.
ReplyDeleteI still have 2 envelopes Dad made with funny things.
One is Santa and his sleigh with bags. Each bag has a name: DAD, MOM, LESLIE, HELEN, AMY. They are all the same size except mine which is much smaller.
The other one has Christmas carols all written in red Except! each has one letter written in black. If you read those, they say "Shop for Dad.
I wonder if I have any thing else in the file cabinet?
So funny! I remember that envelope with the different sized sacks, I'm pretty sure he showed it to me before he sent it. The hidden 'shop for Dad' code is a classic for sure, I'm so glad you still have those. It reminds me of when he would walk around sort of singing to 'himself' as he was doing this or that, 'what shall I do today, oh yes, I need to get Amy a comb for Christmas' -- then he would look at me and say "oh, I didn't see you there' - then we would both crack up laughing.
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