Category: house and family

It’s been a while since I wrote in this venue, so here I am to do so.

First, an apology. I did not intend to stop my postings of the Beyond Words devotionals. Life just got busy, and I just never got around to restarting it. I will be restarting it soon. Frederick Buechner’s book of devotions is too good to keep languishing.

Also, I owe you all an update on life in general. For the most part, not much has changed in the past several months. Sarah is continuting to work toward the completion of her PHD program. It really hasn’t been easy, when you factor in health issues and other distractions and annoyances, but she’s getting the job done. As for me, well, I’m beginning the process of seriously pursuing going back to school for a license in mental health counseling. My experience volunteering on the Crisis Text Line over the past six months has clearly shown me that I have a heart for this work. Starting a whole new chapter when I’m on the downslope of middle age seems, well, weird, but I feel like I still have a lot of life left to live and perhaps much to contribute. There are lots of hoops to jump through, and it probably won’t begin to happen until next year, but I’m finding working toward this goal to be a really exciting thought.

2023 is now well underway. On balance I’d have to say that 2022 was a definite improvement over 2020 and 2021. Neither Sarah nor I spent any time in the hospital, there were no major household mishaps, and toward the end of the year Sarah got a brand new, great-sounding piano. I was joking with someone recently that I’d like to see a bit more boring in 2023. At least, I’m hoping for good things and blessings. May that be true for all of us.

When I was younger, much younger, I actually enjoyed Christmas shopping. It was an event, something to look forward to. I especially enjoyed trips to the department stores—The Crescent in Spokane and Frederick and Nelson in Seattle. I treasure the memories of the Sunday Christmas brunch at the Crescent and indulging in a Frango shake at the restaurant in Frederick and Nelson. Spokane, in particular, did Christmas up right. Downtown was always extremely festive. It didn’t hurt that the festiveness could be experienced in the comfort of the system of enclosed skywalks. Lots of good memories abound.

But that was then. The department stores are long gone, and my most recent Christmas shopping memories conjure up more frenzied herd than festive fun. I can’t remember the last Christmas season when I didn’t see at least one, and often several, news stories about fistfights breaking out over the last video game console or whatever must-have toy was currently in vogue. This is why I gave up braving the crowds years ago and do all my shopping online. I’m sad about the lost experiences, but what I remember no longer exists, and there’s no reason to brave the frenzied throng if I don’t have to.

I will leave you with the experience that, looking back on it, began my retreat from Christmas shopping. My wife and I realized we had neglected to buy a gift for someone important, and so we dashed out to the mall to rectify the situation. To set the scene, it was after 10 PM on a Saturday night, less than a week before Christmas. Needless to say, the vibe of peace on Earth and goodwill to men was not evident in those walls that night. For the gift, we settled on a Hickory Farms gift basket. It was quick and easy, and it was hard to go wrong with it. As soon as we walked into the store, I noticed they weren’t playing traditional Christmas music. In fact, they weren’t playing holiday music at all. For background ambience, they had chosen Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Specifically, while we were in the store “The Mexican Shuffle” was playing. If you’re not familiar with the group or the tune, I invite you to look it up on YouTube and see if it conjures up visions of Christmas home and hearth in your heart. It didn’t for me. In fact, I was overtaken by a severe dose of the giggles.

That experience, along with a few subsequent happenings, has almost certainly permanently sidelined me from the holiday shopping bedlam. There is nothing wrong with buying gifts from the comfort of my desk chair, after all. But I do admit, sometimes at this time of year, I find myself craving just one more Frango shake.