Yesterday, church was cancelled, and we decided to have our family 'Christmas' even though our gifts weren't all under the tree. We read the Christmas story from Matthew and sang songs, each choosing our favorite. We sang 'Joy to the World' and 'O Come all Ye Faithful.' Michael sang the first verse in Latin-"Adeste Fidelis". We sang the traditional Mast Family songs; 'There were Shepherds abiding in the Fields..", "Silver Star", "O Beautiful Star", "The Message", and our version of "Silent Night."
Susan has a terrible head cold and couldn't sing, and I still couldn't sing from having bronchitis. So we listened to the four men sing. It was beautiful. Michael and Philip were singing the melody line, slapping each other's legs to keep the time. Freeman sang bass and Phil sang tenor. It was so beautiful that I wanted the moment to last forever. I tried to hide my tears, but Phil noticed.
I got the sense that we will never get this moment back-that nothing will ever be the same again. Not that I think I will lose a child or a spouse or that they will lose me. I am just aware that precious moments fly by and they can be replaced so quickly by sadder moments or even happier moments but this moment will never come around again.
Phil shared with us a Mast Christmas Dinner memory. After the Christmas dinner, the adults and older children would sit around the table, and each one got a turn at requesting a song. They'd sing all of the verses to every Christmas carol. Sometimes, there would be 30 people around the table, and they sang for hours and everyone enjoyed it.
And so each year, we continue the tradition. When we get together with the Hertzlers, they will sing around the table too. I hope our grandchildren will know these songs and I hope I'll hear them singing. "Glory be to God on high...Peace, Goodwill to mortals...Christ the Lord is born tonight...Heav'n swings wide its portals..."
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