I’m old enough to remember ranch houses without running water, and intermittent electricity. I loved carrying wood from the woodshed, whole milk from the barn, and the glow of kerosene lamps on Christmas trees decorated with homemade ornaments and strings of popcorn.
My own kids love books. I love finding a book or two as presents and the joy of them taking gift cards to the bookstore to select their own.
I grew up both within a church community and outside of it. I am never closer to God than when I’m outdoors, surrounded by beauty unblemished by man. I try to spend part of every Christmas on cross country skis or snowshoes with Carmen, making our own trails.
It was only decades ago when the people of the Middle East, especially the Abraham faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam all watched warmly as each celebrated their most cherished holidays. The propaganda of the Nazis, looking for allies among the Islamic peoples began to erode that and the policies from the Iranian Revolution, (part of the plot from my book The Shadow Game), drove wedges between the groups. Among my dreams for the future is a refocusing on what we share instead of how we differ.
Among my Christmas joys in recent years is our annual holiday trip to Costco where we load up the car with pies, and turkeys, hams and other goodies to deliver to local groups helping others.
Rodger's Top 5: Christmas Joys