MUST. READ.

I wish every person in the world would read the blog entry that I'm about to post. It's so amazingly true and the answer to world peace. I don't for one moment believe that I am perfect. I needed this as much as ANYONE in the whole world. Please read it and pass it along. I'm Christian, unless you're gay. I hope that everyone can look past the title. I'm not homophobic, but I'm angry, judgmental, and a hater. I know this. I want to be better.

Tis the season

If you are a regular here at the Patch you know that every year I wax poetic on one of my favorite things in the world. My annual performance of Handel's Messiah. It's the 71st performance in Cedar City. Not one year have they skipped doing it. Christmas is so commercial and when the economy is troublesome (even if it isn't) there's so much materialistic stress.  My favorite part of the season is singing in the Messiah. Our orchestra along with the Messiah chorale perform it as Handel intended it to be; free of charge. I never have the words to express how humbling it is to sing the words from the Bible that chronicle the events leading up to the birth, the ministry, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Christ. Powerful words. Yet my ultimate amazement lies in the pure genius of Handel. He brings life to the words, he paints a picture. He uses every nuance of every instrument in the orchestra, every section of the chorale, and every soloist. I do this every year because it truly is the best part of the year for me, hands down.

In the past I've talked about Adrianne Tawa, our choir instructor. She's amazing and for the experience of learning from her, alone, makes it all the more worthwhile. Then we are handed over to Xun Sun (maestro AND doctor) who truly is astounding but the real show is watching him conduct us. Never have I seen such joy in a person. How can it NOT be the best experience ever??

Here's some of the music from last year's performance:


Isn't he amazing? How can you NOT feel pure joy performing with this man???

The reason for the season.

TRADITION!!!!!!!

My little fam has traditions that we've built from the birth of my children. My oldest is 17 and amazingly is speaking of marriage. Her boyfriend brought it up very hypothetically but.. YIKES! She's enrolled in two colleges on top of high school and she's not that little girl who named her first doll Crunchy. My distance from my other family played out here in the Patch. I'm no longer angry at anyone and I actually see things more clearly. It's come as a shock that I won't be spending Christmas Eve at my mom's house. I'm not sure why because I thought I was clear. We all have families and I am looking at two young women who will be making THEIR own traditions too (you've experienced my youngest. She's my blog high jacker).

I've bought them an ornament for each year of their existence. When they marry they will take them for their own trees and hopefully tell their children the story behind each. Perhaps they will put a pickle ornament on THEIR tree for their kids to find to see who opens the extra gift. I believe they will kneel in prayer, thanking God for the gift of his son and that we not forget HIM as we take turns opening gifts. Will they read their kids "Yes Virginia, there IS a Santa." to keep the magic alive when someone else tries to take it away? Will they leave anonymous gifts on the porch for the 12 days of Christmas, knocking, running and hiding, and as they get older biffing it in the snow as THEIR children step over them and keep running? How many of our traditions will they take with them?

What I really wonder as I enter into the second decade of headache from hell is will I be here to find out? Time will tell.