The calendar claims it’s that time of the year for us to compose our annual Christmas Letter, if we’re going to continue our tradition which began 41 years ago when we moved to Texas. (Actually, there are a few more, dating back to 1963 and Corvallis, Oregon … but there were breaks during the Bethesda, MD and Amherst, MA years.) Part of our reluctance in writing this year is that Houston has had temperatures in the 80s for the last, several weeks! Our climate is certainly not conducive to holiday reflections, even if the TV commercials strongly suggest otherwise. However, the weather-folks tell us to expect a roller-coaster – with a few days in the cool 60s before returning to mid-summer.
Further reluctance for writing a holiday letter is due to the world … hardly the time to consider the peace on earth promised by a gathering of angels some two millennia, ago. What we see streaming on “social” media is not conducive to thoughts of peace! Yet there is hope that our secular roller-coaster will have more ups than downs, even if that may not physically be possible! One can only hope that the “downs” are neither deep nor in rapid succession. We’ve survived others over the last century; we pray we will, once more.
Our personal “success” continues a pace, or at least our personal life does. Our health remains relatively constant. Karen still has her shoulder aches and pains while Pat has recently developed his own knee and leg reminders of aging. (It’s debatable whether his renewed use of the exercise equipment provided by Eagle’s Trace has been more of a help or hindrance in attempts to counter some aspects of that ageing process. Karen has a peddle machine stashed under her desk for her own attempts.)
These Covid-19 days have also had mixed results for us. We have been triply shot, as have almost all of our 900 residents, so that we no longer are required to mask as we gather for meals and fellowship. We are still encouraged to engage in social-distancing and masking while outside our retirement community. On the other hand, our staff at Eagle’s Trace Living Community has made the past months very acceptable, even when Houston did have snow and freezing weather for the month of February. (Who would maintain our Gulf Coast weather is consistent!?)
Although the medical situation of the coronavirus, regardless of which Greek letter is used!, has improved, we have not readily returned to as active a schedule as we once followed for our retirement living. However, Karen has continued to be a member of a well-rehearsed singing group that has been well-received at ET. Pat has renewed his focus on writing for his on-line blog: CameosAndCarousels.com. We continue to enjoy following the lives of our children and our children’s children, as we rejoice in seeing the actions of our great-grandchildren that bring back fond memories of prior generations.
This, we know, is really what the Christmas season is all about … young children and old memories. As our own three “kids” and their spouses participate in their own retirement years; as the next generation matures into lives initiated by our “kids,” and as the youngest ones laugh and grow throughout their own childhood, we “originals” hope, pray, and rejoice about everything that really matters.
Perhaps we should stop “streaming the news” and recall the news proclaimed by those angels: “Peace on Earth to Those of Good-Will.” We need to remember that the Peace they promised was to those of Good-Will, those who trusted in the coming of the Christ-child, those who trust that He will come again – with a joy-filled Advent and Christmas! Yes, that’s the real gift we want this year: trust in one another, trust that our nation will survive, trust that Christ will come, again!
Christmas 2021
Christmas comes for hearts and minds in its many forms and kinds –
Hanging on our festive doors and bustling through department stores.
We do take the time to pray and we do so every day,
But gifts and cards sometimes invade the quiet space that we have made.
In this card we wish you well. We love you more than rhymes can tell.
You are in our thoughts today and so we take the time to say:
COVID scares have passed us by though we’re not so young and spry.
All the ‘kids’ and grandkids thrive and six great-grandkids are alive
With another on the way. What a picture-perfect day
When all of us can join in fun – to laugh and see and hug each one.
No more for now. Our wish for you is that good things will come anew –
That twenty-two will bring us peace, that all hostility will cease,
That Christmas blessings will abound and happiness will soon be found.
The Camerinos send our best with love and joy and all the rest.