I’ve always been a Christmas person. My folks loved Christmas too, and I have treasured memories of all those family Christmases long ago: Sitting in the pew at Christmas Eve candlelight service, Mom’s gorgeous table groaning with turkey and all the fixins, the tree with treasured ornaments, some I still hang on my own tree 60 years later.
Over time, things change, of course. For several years I took over the family dinner duties, and have oodles of photos of our extended family, smiling round my Christmas table, so many in fact that I finally put them all in a photo book (you’re all in there somewhere, family – trust me).
But those days are mostly past; There are empty seats at that table today, our folks long gone and the family scattered from coast to coast. So I go all out with ornaments and decorations to this day, we celebrate with those we can, when we can, but on Christmas itself? One of the children is fishing off our beach back at home, guarding the decorations, but we’re not there.
This year we’re in Key West: and that’s ok.
All right, it’s more than ok: Our friends offered us their oceanside condo while they travel to their own family gatherings, and wow it’s amazing. (Thank you, dear friends, you are the BEST, and this place rocks – are you sure we have to give it back? Ha ha).
It is different, though, to be on the road this time of year. Everywhere we turn, there are reminders of family togetherness. On the Key West Conch Train Houselights Tour, we joined several families on the outing (and loved hearing the children’s ooohs and aaaahs). Turns out Key West celebrates Christmas pretty much like everywhere else does, just with more flamingos and lots of glitzy glowing palm trees everywhere.
Key West is absolutely lit up, in fact, and sure, some of that comes from bars on Duval, but we’ve enjoyed finding all the rest: The City Hall, the kitchy flamingos, one hilarious holiday play at the Red Barn, twinkling lights on boats down at the Seaport.
We celebrated our favorite new tradition last night, when we joined our church family for Christmas Eve candlelight carol service. We actually do attend Key West’s Metropolitan Community Church (mostly online from home), but sitting in the pews with our church friends made for a special Christmas treat.
And I loved it on Sunday, when our minister began by pointing to the gorgeous Christmas decorations, backed by banners that say “HOPE”. He explained that he could never keep the order straight – faith, hope, love? – love, faith, hope? – “So today we’re just going with HOPE!”
Amen to THAT.
Merry Christmas to all our friends, family, and all the world’s travellers, everywhere, this holiday season: May your flamingos glow brightly, may you always BELIEVE, and may HOPE never die.
Padre and the Blonde
