www.kramerwetzel.com #9

Merry Xmas, Sky Friday

Iconic image, summer sky, and here, it’s the darkest part of our winter. Image resurfaced from an old cell phone, if you can believe that. Pont Neuf, in Paris, c’est vrai, non?

Previously.

Xmas Eve Service:
To my atheist and neo-pagan friends, I strive to maintain harmony. Jews, too. Yeah, although I own a copy of the Koran (English and Arabic), I’ve yet to read it, so I can’t include that faith. I’m pretty sure they’re not into this whole Xmas thing that we revere. It’s a Christian holiday, and don’t start in on the holiday’s history, that’s not what this about.

I’ve found that two holidays stick out, both of them based upon earlier regional (possibly agrarian, possibly earth-based) events, but Christmas and Easter are important for families.

I try to go to that church at least once or twice a year, make it Easter and Christmas? Good as gold.

Which how, Christmas Eve afternoon, I found myself in a pew with my Austin family arrayed on either side, and directly in front of me? A younger couple with two daughters, cute, dressed alike. Very different, though. The older child had long, dark hair with curls. That older child, somber, and paying attention to the matter of the ritual, the observations, the prayer and so forth. The younger child spent as much time looking at me as looking forward, or pulling on her mother’s earrings, or drawing. Or generally in motion, at all times.

The dad showed up late, still dressed in a business suit, clutching a video camera to get, presumably, footage of his daughters.

I watched, throughout the service, I like that one church, the decorations, the decor reminds me an early set of Tarot cards – long sense worn out – with two Xmas trees adorned with all manner of symbols in gold foil, like five-pointed stars, doves, and the whole act of a round loaf of bread, the wine (grape juice), never mind, this isn’t about co-opted symbolism.

The older daughter was somber, dutiful, well-mannered, behaved, paid attention. Her little sister wouldn’t stop moving. Too much sugar and too much Xmas in the air. Eventually, the younger one pulled her sister’s hair causing a chain reaction. Dad had to separate the two girls with a harsh word to the older one. I couldn’t make it out, but it was along the lines of “Behave, or I’ll take you to the car, right now(!)” Effect a stage whisper for that one.

The older sibling being blamed for the younger sister’s indiscretions? I know what that feels like.

Yeah, holidays and church. Works for me. Little reminders.