Ghosts of Christmas

Time and memories. In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, three ghosts appear to signify and to illuminate for Ebenezer Scrooge all of the Christmases in his life . . . those that had passed, the present Christmas, and the Christmases yet to come.

In 1965 the Christmas season presented a new classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, for the first time on TV. I remember watching it one year later in December 1966 as a freshman in college in the lounge of one of the dorms on campus. And just this past week, I watched it yet again on TV. It's freshness and humor and frustration with the commercialism of the season has not diminished with time.

There are lots of traditions that tie all of our Christmases together. A decoration, a Christmas song, the scent of a Christmas tree, cookies baking, making a graham cracker candy house, all trigger memories from our Christmases past. The memories may all be good ones, but there may also be a bit of sadness for family and friends no longer here to share the new memories we are creating. But it's all tied together.

I had mentioned in my previous post about watching favorite Christmas movies. Last year in December, The Family Stone opened in theatres. To me, this movie illustrates the nature of the Christmas season and family gathering and memories, warts and all. We may not be perfect, but as Sybil Stone said, "We're all we've got."

I laughed and I cried watching this movie; to see the family coming together, the interactions of the adult siblings, the laughs, the fights and the tragedies, and with that, all of them pulling together. And, another Christmas . . . the Christmas future. Life goes on. Families gather and enjoy the season. And the memories of Christmases past linger.