Why Write Another Christmas Story?

If you were raised in the Christian tradition, there's really only one Christmas story - the tiny baby born in a lowly manger who grows up to be a Savior. But we all have a Christmas story of our own, and while it may never become the stuff of legend it might be  important to understanding who you are as a person and as a writer.

My childhood Christmases were idyllic. Although I'm an only child, I had many cousins who lived nearby, so our quiet, family-of-three centered Christmas mornings turned into huge extended family blowouts on Christmas afternoon and evening. The day was chock full of fun, food, presents, and all around excitement.

Years have passed, my cousins are scattered hither and yon and holidays have sometimes been lonely for this only child (who married an only child and raised an only child!)  I started dwelling on loss during the holidays, rather than on possibilities. I found myself thinking too much about what used to be, rather than appreciating what was, or looking forward to what could be. As a result, I sometimes dreaded the holiday, found only darkness in it, rather than hope or light.

But our Christmas story changed  in a big way this year, thanks to the birth of a baby - our six week old grandson. Hope was born again, so Christmas this year - though not the huge festive event of my childhood - regained a similar sense of excitement and anticipation.

Our writing stories might undergo similar transformations during the course of our lives. We get stuck in cycles, afraid to try new things, afraid to take risks. We lose the joy in putting words on the page, are unable to anticipate the finished product, or plan for the future. Like so many of my Christmases past, writing becomes stale and unproductive, something to dread rather than time to look forward to.

Creative stories can be rewritten, just as Christmas stories can. Like my grandson's birth, new inspiration arrives or new success infuses your writing with hope, making it sparkle and shine again, giving it a renewed sense of purpose.

May you find that for your writing life this season.

What's your Christmas story? Does it impact your writing life in any way?

 

One Word

Of course I love words. Love to play with them, find out what they mean, love to set them on the page and shift them around in circles until they find their perfect resting place, love to mull them over in my mind and rub them gently together until they nestle perfectly within the phrase. So how do I choose One Word to set the tone for an entire year?

People do it, though. Every year about this time the blogosphere is rife with writers and thinkers and creative types, choosing their One Word to guide them through the next 365 days.

Last year, blogger Ali Edwards wrote that she started thinking about her one word in November and December, "listening, looking, and being open to the possibilities." Writer and journaler Quinn McDonald advises choosing a word that "will build you up and support you, a good chewy word that will last the whole year long." Photographer and writer Susannah Conway has even created a free e-WorkBook to help you find your perfect word for 2012.

And what do you do with your word once you find one? "You live with it, invite it into your life, let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads," Edwards advises. It's a word that "sets an intention, creates a verbal amulet," writes McDonald. "It could even be a word you hold in your heart." Whatever the word might be, "it should give you a guiding light when the way gets murky," Conway asserts. "And you know the way always gets murky."

In years past, I've written about our church's Ephiphany Sunday service, which we call Star Sunday. It's the day we each choose a paper star with one word written on it, a word that reflects a spiritual idea that could become manifest in our lives during the coming year. I love Star Sunday, and always eagerly anticipate what my word will be. But this year I wanted to be more intentional about the process, wanted to choose a word of my own and see how my given word might work together with my chosen word, what paths they might lead me on for 2012.

I'll let you in on a secret- I've already chosen my One Word. It came to me quite suddenly on the airplane the other day while we flew here to Dallas to spend Christmas with our family. (I don't know about you, but I've discovered I do some of my best creative thinking on airplanes.) The minute I thought of it, I knew it was the Word for me.

I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet. I'm waiting until I get my Star word on January 8, and then we'll see how those words mesh.

Until then, if you're choosing One Word for next year start thinking about it so you can share it with me, okay?

 

Story Time

Last night I sat at dinner with my friend P. and a group of her friends I affectionately call "The Church Ladies." These women have known each other since time immemorial, and though I'm something of an adjunct member because I don't attend their church, they always welcome me with open arms and warm smiles. We are all "women of a certain age," and with that come the inevitable joys and sorrows.  We talked of aging parents who were ill, adult children who were far away, grandchildren who delighted us. One woman chose her meal carefully, mindful of dietary restrictions because she was to undergo a PET scan today to check the progress of her cancer. One woman talked of her daughter - a wife, mother, and grandmother herself - who was actively dying of brain cancer and would never see another Christmas.

In short, we told lots of stories.

We laughed.

We cried.

Minutes ago, I read a status update on Facebook, written by our new minister at church. He was reflecting on this time one year ago when he was working as a UPS driver, helping to make ends meet for his family after completing an advanced degree and before finding a new home church.  "My spirit trembles in remembrance," he wrote. "This time last year I was...making minimum wage. Knowing the job ended Dec 24. Knowing no other job was yet on the horizon. Wondering when, if ever (and if so, where), I'd get a chance to minister as a pastor again. And here I am in Livonia, Michigan. Among people who love to serve the Lord. Who love each other. Who continually and generously embrace Jennie and me with that love. Lord, your ways are so mysterious. Your grace so overwhelming . . .

We all have stories, don't we? I recall two years ago when I was reeling from so much loss - two beloved family members, my husband's job - dealing with a mountain of stress at work, uncertain of what the future would hold. Yet we rebounded from grief, jobs were restored, and best of all, we were blessed with a miraculous new grandchild who holds all the hope for the future in his tiny little hands.

Each one of us can relate times of joy and despair, mingled together in the large soup pot we call life. But in the telling and sharing of these stories we deepen our connections and understanding, increase our empathy, and gain insight into our own situations. It's one of the miracles of Christmas, that we feel our frozen hearts begin to thaw and open,  that we make time for gathering together and telling stories of the year gone by, rejoicing and comforting one another as the need arises.

May your Christmas be blessed with places to tell your own stories, friends to tell them to, and time to listen to other stories that touch your heart.

A Holiday Shopping Philosophy

Obviously, I've been a little off track with my writing schedule this past week. I warned you that might happen, didn't i?

Oddly enough, it didn't happen until I got back from Dallas, when I was hit with a combination of sensory overload (can we just say four weeks of unopened mail) and baby deprivation. Added to that were dogs who needed haircuts, cupboards that needed stocking, appointments that needed making.

Oh, and of course, Christmas shopping.

Truthfully, I can't complain about Christmas shopping because I really don't do much of it. Jim and I decided not to buy gifts for each other this year, and my mom is perfectly happy with the personalized calendar of dog photographs I make for her each year. I bought one gift for Connor (well, two if you count the Christmas picture book which I aim to make an annual tradition), and a few other books as gifts for friends.

We used to go nuts at Christmas time, with boxes and boxes of presents to open. When you have children around, it's easy to do that. You buy a lot of stuff for them, and so you feel as if the rest of the family should have just as many packages to open as well.

I am SO over that. Fair warning, Connor - I love you to pieces, but I'm not going to buy you every single thing you want every single holiday. There was a photo floating around on Facebook the other day that proposed the following guidelines for gifting children:

One thing they want. One thing they need. One thing to wear. One thing to read.

You'll probably have to remind me of that when Connor is e-mailing and Skyping me with his lengthy Christmas lists. Nevertheless, I'm starting out as I'm aiming to go on. He's too young to tell me what he wants, so I picked that for him. I've got the thing to read all set. If there's something he needs, his parents can let me know. The thing to wear? It's ready, but it's kind of a secret so I'm saying no more about it at the present time.

I wish I were more crafty - I have some friends who are so very talented artistically. I'd love to give people handmade gifts but I'm still trying to figure out just how to do that. I'm ecstatic when someone gives me a framed photograph they've taken, or a scarf or hat they've knit, or a box of homemade candy, but I feel like it would be totally narcissictic to record a CD of Christmas music on the piano and give it as a gift.

So I continue to purchase gifts, but I at least try to make them meaningful. I buy books  often, and from independent booksellers when I can, because I want to support book publishing and my favorite authors. I give gift cards for shops or restaurants or movies I know my friends will enjoy. I make donations to charities in friends' names.

While holiday shopping itself is not an onerous task for me, I get more annoyed each year with the marketing frenzy associated with Christmas. I wish more people would adopt a "less is more" philosophy for holiday shopping, although I know it would be unpopular with retailers. The pervasive message that buying stuff is what makes people happy makes me grind my teeth. I know better than that - and I suspect all those holiday shoppers do too.

How about you? What's your holiday shopping philosophy?