Ladies of a Certain Age ~ for those invisible powerful, dynamic, vital women

Have you ever been aware of thoughts and sounds going around in your head just before waking up? 

That’s what happened to me about a week ago. Thoughts and sounds of Christmas appeared in a surreal way. The song, “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” played in the background. 

,The words jingle jangle came to me. I just found out that was a title of a Netflix movie. They signify this far-out time of year when the world seems to erupt like a volcano. 

Maybe because I have been blessed with over 70 Christmases, maybe because neighbors have already decorated their yards with blown-up Christmas characters, maybe because I was thinking of my Christmas plans, perhaps because I am eager to be with my family, these waves of words, sounds, smells and feelings rained down on me. It was a pleasant, poignant experience.

I am sharing some of the things I felt with you and invite you to think and feel about your experiences this time of year. At the end of this post, I write about a relatively new tradition I have been doing with friends; It is a tranquil retrieve in these hectic times.

So, instead of just reading this blog post, I invite you to listen, smell and even touch the words to extract your feelings to enjoy all the flavors of your senses.

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer  *** A bright red light for a nose *** Listening for Santa’s sleigh *** Red roses and holly in a vase (Rose, my mother, was born on December 20) *** Shivering in the cold, watching my daughter play her flute in the parade of lights downtown with her high school band *** Having tea with that same daughter as a little girl with my dad, her grandpa, at the Denver Dry Goods Tea Room *** Having enough money to buy lots of toys for my little kids after their dad finally graduated from college  *** Uncle Paul’s model train zooming around the Christmas tree *** Aunt Kay’s divinity *** My Italian grandmother’s fabulous spaghetti and ravioli Christmas dinner *** Grandpa waiting for us to arrive on the porch *** Death (my great-grandmother died on Christmas Day and Mittens, my cat, the day after Christmas) *** Cross-country skiing with two great friends during the day on December 24. Listening to  NPR play Christmas music from St. Stevens as we drive to the mountains *** Christmas after a divorce *** A dog eating the gingerbread ornaments off the tree *** A cat climbing the tree *** Expensive fancy dinners as a corporate wife *** Treating my staff to the botanic gardens holiday lights *** Singing Christmas carols at neighbor’s doors with my sister, Jan and our cousin, Marilyn while her brother played the tuba *** Buying a new Nancy Drew book with my Christmas money from Santa Claus

Several years ago, I started celebrating the Winter Solstice with my friends. I am always amazed how many of them can come to my house just days before Christmas. We have a simple meal of soup and bread and cranberry pudding and then go outside where a fire is burning in a pit. Before the party,  I invite my friends to write down things they wish to forget about this year on sheets of paper. Quietly each of us tosses them into the flames and watches the ashes rise into the sky. Then, we each add to the fire our notes about hopes and dreams for the new year and watch them ascend to the heavens. Finally, we come back into the house and have a cup of cheer. The party is over around 8 pm. Maybe it is because of my other ancestry—Irish, English, Scottish, and Welch— or perhaps because I find the season’s commercialism so tiresome, I find this simple ceremony with dear friends signifies the season’s real meaning.

Happy Holidays! 

Copyright – Elizabeth J. Wheeler, November 29, 2022