'Tis the Season

Yesterday a select number of my family and I went to man a Salvation Army bucket outside of a Jewel grocer. The first group of us (of which I was a part) consisted of my mother, my youngest brother, and myself. The next part was pretty predictable for my family. My mother put on the apron, my brother immediately claimed the loudest bell for himself. I felt awkward. Don't get me wrong, I believe what I was doing was a good thing, but I am very shy. Standing outside a Jewel ringing a bell to call attention to something is not in my comfort zone. My mom is much better at that sort of thing. She greeted everybody as they came in and out of the store. I just stood there and smiled like a slightly deranged person. Finally we decided to start singing Christmas carols. This made me happy and more terrified. Singing is one of my favorite things. I sing everywhere. But at the same time, I would be drawing attention to myself.
Whatever. What was I going to do? I agreed to this. So my mom and I start coming up with Christmas carols and we sung them! There were some amusing attempts on my mom's part to sing alto harmony but for the most part it was straight forward Christmas carols. At first I was thinking, "Who wants to listen to us sing these "every day" (haha) Christmas carols. But the more people came up to us and thanked us for singing and told us how great we sounded, I realized how blessed I have been for the past like sixteen years of my life. I have literally been in a Christmas program of some kind for sixteen years. Sixteen. I have been singing these songs every year for sixteen years, in increasingly competent and better singing groups. I started out in music class at Trinity Lutheran and made it through Madrigals and the Christmas concert at University High School, and am now in Women's Chorale at Wheaton College performing with some of the most talented musicians in the nation. How many people can say the same thing. I have been so spoiled as Christmas music go. Despite the fact I performed with almost the entirety of the Wheaton College Music Conservatory, I rediscovered my awe for the Christmas story and the beauty of Christmas carols standing outside that grocery store singing with my mother and occasionally with my little brother when he decided he wanted to. I pray I remember the feeling and can remain thankful through the holidays. May you and your family be blessed this year!