It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

Happy December, My Friend!

This is now my third start at my letter to you this week. I get started, and it seems to go nowhere. So, instead of trying to come up with something new, I’m going to borrow some beautiful words from Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Never heard of them? I bet you’ve listened to their words. They wrote these:

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light.

Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the Yuletide gay.

Next year, all our troubles will be miles away.

Once again, as in olden days, happy golden days of yore.

Faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more.

Someday soon, we all will be together, if the fates allow.

Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”

Pretty song, right? You’ve probably heard it hundreds of times. So why should I bring it up today?

Every time I hear it (the Judy Garland version is the best), it takes me back to three years ago. November and December of 2020. I can hardly think about that time without uttering an audible “Oof.”

Talk about a roller coaster going on in our family at that time. We had a brand-new grandson! Beck was born on November 3 of that year. Unlike the births of our granddaughters, I couldn’t be there. No way would extra folks be allowed in the hospitals at that time. We were still thrilled. We awaited Beck’s arrival at home; I was in constant contact with my daughter-in-law’s mom. Apparently, someone told Beck that 2020 was sort of a mess because he took his sweet time coming into this world. But arrive, he did, and we celebrated and were filled with joy.

 At just about that same time, our daughter and son-in-law became very ill with COVID-19. Maria and Jared both ended up in the hospital, each for 8 days. Thank God Jared’s dad had already had it because he could go and stay with their three kids and take care of them. It was the worst feeling to know my child was very sick in a hospital in another state, and there was not one thing I could do about it. (Oh yes, I prayed, and that’s not “nothing.” But being so far away was so hard.) I held my newborn grandson in one arm, and with my other hand,  I was calling the hospital in Charlotte, hoping I’d be lucky enough to speak to a nurse that day and see how my daughter was doing. I was filled with dread.

I’m grateful to say both Maria and Jared are fine now, which is not everyone’s story, and for those of you who lost loved ones at that time, I am so sorry.

That Christmas season was different for all of us. Maria said she mainly laid on the couch that December, recuperating. Well, as much as a mom of three young girls can lay on the couch. But I remember she told me that hearing “that song by Judy Garland” made her cry. It made promises we were all counting on would be kept.

“Next year, all our troubles will be miles away. Faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more. Someday soon, we all will be together. Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.”

Muddle through was about all we could do.

Whenever I hear that song now, I think back to 2020 and appreciate many things. I’m grateful that we are not there anymore. I am so glad we can plan get-togethers and not have “drive-by” birthday parties or visit the elderly through nursing home windows. I know things will never return to being as they were pre-pandemic, but Hallelujah, we aren’t where we were then!

I don’t want to leave you on a sad note, though I may have brought that about. The song ends with the line, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas now!” Yep, this world is chock full of bad stuff. People we love get sick and sometimes even die. Countries are at war and killing each other. Bad stuff happens to really good people. (Feeling better yet? Hold on!)

But there’s still Christmas. I mean, I think that’s precisely why there is Christmas. We needed saving all those years ago, and we still need saving. We need that peace that Jesus brought. That He brings. There will always be bad stuff in this world. But, thank God, there will always be Jesus, too. And He wins.

Friend, have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Written with love – – Patti XOXO

PS – – That sounded like I wasn’t writing again before Christmas. Lord willing, I’ll be back next week!

PPS – – Listen to Judy Garland sing here.

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting Me,

you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.

In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.

But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

John 16:33 (The Message)