Category: Life according to Angela

The past few days I have been clearing away Christmas decorations: three trees, hundreds of ornaments, and even more lights. Textiles and decorations have been cleaned, whisked away, and stored. A room suddenly without a Christmas tree is a shock, isn’t it?

We are all in the midst of this cleaning and resetting process after Christmas. It’s both a chore and a relief. With the end of abundance, we are left with a blank space, so symbolic of the year ahead.

The early adult years for our children when they were able to come home for Christmas masked the reality of the change that was always happening. Inevitably, we move beyond one home base. Some traditions fall away each year as we learn to navigate new roles. But the decorations live in a predictable state of repetition.

When we are all together again for Christmas (maybe in 4 years), the same decorations will probably be on the shelves, walls, and the tree, but the time together will be even shorter. Our home will be a brief stopping place for most of our children who will be busy with family life and careers. How predictable, but surprising when it happens. We will be known by some iteration of Grandmother and Grandfather, and not so much by the titles of Mom and Dad.

As I set up and pack away Christmas, I handle reminders of our lifetime, and even those ornaments that I have passed on to our married children return to memory. So many of my Christmas decorations are inherited. I remember what it was like to visit the homes of my grandmothers when I handle their dishes and pretty things. For me, Christmas decorations are family history, and the ritual of seeing them each year helps me remember religious feeling, the innocence of childhood, and our family legacy.

I’ve taken time to pause and look back, and now I am ready for a new year. The Nativities have been replaced by hopeful whites and shiny silver (once I remove the tarnish). Happy New Year! 😃

I took an evening walk recently, and the neighborhood is a very different place at this hour. (Ha! Just look at the size of our friends’ yard decoration!) I spend 9 months of the year trying to stay warm, and I call that one of my negative adult traits. When I was a child, I was willing to risk a cold face and hands to be outside. I need to be more like that. I have determined to bundle up and take my winter walks whatever time of day I can.

I love walking in the summer, but there is something about the stillness of the surroundings in a winter walk that really calms the soul.

My mind is at odds with itself, with a portion wanting to reflect on the year and to write, and the other portion focused on my TO DO lists. My writing energy has gone to several church talks during the past month. Since I love public speaking, I realize that this time devoted to writing church talks is a gift.

Someone asked me yesterday if I had ever considered writing a book, because she would like a copy of that book. (So nice, right?) “Only every day,” I thought. I said something dodgy and moved on.

The responsible side of my brain wins, again and again.

I was a juror for a criminal case this week. I lost my mind with worry before the trial, but I survived. Our bailiff, who was in charge of guiding the jury, brought us snacks and lunch, and he was personable and kind. He said there was a lot of sadness in a courthouse, and he felt it was part of his job to cheer up the jurors. I was impressed by the judge’s demeanor and that he visited the jurors after the trial to thank us in person.

The people in the courtroom stood out of respect each time the jury entered and exited. I felt the gravity of our task each time this happened. The charge was a third degree felony, and we found the defendant guilty. Yes, this was a heavy responsibility.

Here is a small part of the thank you letter from the judge,

I appreciate your conscientious an dedicated service. I don’t extend this praise lightly, because jury service can be frustrating, exciting, disappointing and, at the very least, inconvenient. But now that you are a “seasoned veteran” of jury service, I ask that you encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to serve when they are summoned. The quality of justice that all of us enjoy in this country ultimately rests upon the quality of those who administer and participate in it.

Our jury system affords a greater protection of individual rights than any system of justice in the world. We can be proud that important questions of right and wrong, innocence and guilt are decided by everyday citizens speaking for the community…

Jury service is tremendously important, and should therefore demand the attention of the best in society. I hope that your juror service will produce a lasting memory that you will remember with a sense of pride.