Tend and Keep

A few weeks ago, as I was driving down country roads in beautiful golden autumn afternoon sunlight, it happened that I came up behind a school bus and followed it through several miles of its after-school route, pausing every few miles to drop off a child or two. At one stop, a big black dog waited patiently, then did a jump for joy when he caught sight of his kid getting off the bus; the child immediately dropped to one knee to give well-earned scratches behind the ears. At another, a father was working outside and waved his son over to join him in what he was doing. At the last stop, family members were in a group outside, chatting, and as soon as the bus pulled up an adult ran, open-armed, toward the returning child and they met in a big, swinging hug.   These moments were pure and simple delight to witness, a lovely and unexpected gift. The expressions of family and human connection put a big ol' stupid grin on my face that stayed there a long time, and returns anytime I h...

On Christmas Day in the Morning  by Pearl S. Buck: I have yet to read this book without crying. Maybe it's because of its beautifully simple illustrations, the heartwarming story... Whatever it is, this is the Christmas book I look most look forward to reading with my kids each year, tears aside. The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas by Madeleine L'Engle: A wonderful, classic story that makes a great read-aloud for both younger and older kids. Although, the family in the story does a "special thing" each day of December as they wait for Christmas, which can create some high standards in the minds of children, so proceed with caution. The Biggest, most Beautiful Christmas Tree  by Amye Rosenberg: This is a delightful story featuring woodland animals that Santa forgets about until a fun, crazy Aunt sweeps in and saves the day. Kids love this story.  

In my family, like all families I'm sure, we like to laugh and remember, and one of our favorite quotes comes from my grandma. She was known for being just a teensy bit on the bossy side, and if you were to balk at one of her requests/orders, she would shut you down immediately with, "Oh, you can easy do that." Drop her off at the front door of the store and take the wheel to navigate her fancy boat of a car to a parking spot, even though you are naught but 14 years old with a brand spanking new learner's permit?  You can easy do that. Scramble up the rickety fold-down ladder to her sweltering attic and sort through items in the dark until you found the obscure gadget she needed? You can easy do that. Answer her phone while she has both hands in the giant bowl of bread dough, thereby remaining trapped in a conversation with someone who knows your grandma, your mom, and your entire life history but you have no idea who they are?  You can easy do that. These stories are...