Alone, in a small cabin far from home, I watched as the snow began to fall. Being the first time I had actually seen snow, other than on television, I stared out the window and carefully studied each of the flakes as they slowly drifted downward, like little angels from the heavens, and gently found their new home on branches of fir trees and the ground below. It wasn’t long before that little flurry of “angels” sent out for reinforcements and they came with a vengeance, riding on the back of the north wind. Nothing was spared as they went about their apparent duty of transforming the landscape from a forest full of diverse colors and shapes to a single blanket of white. Before nightfall the single blanket morphed into a three foot thick multi layered quilt concealing beneath all signs of summer and fall.
It was the fourth Sunday of the Advent Season and I couldn’t help but think how pleased the folks at the little congregational church in the nearby village must be with themselves. After all they had been praying for a White Christmas, as they did every year, starting even before the leaves of Fall had finished their spectacular display of grandeur. I however had my thoughts far from that winter wonderland. As others were preparing for winter festivities and playing in the new fallen snow, I settled into my rocking chair next to the warmth of a newly stoked fire, sipped on a cup of freshly brewed hot tea, not iced as I am accustomed to, and dreamt of Christmas back in South Texas.
From Galveston to Corpus and all down the coast,
Lights from the bows to the sterns on all of the boats;
On the beaches of Padre children lay down and fan
With their arms and their legs to create angels of sand.
From Goliad to Cuero, Gonzales and Cruz Calle,
On down to the Valley of the great Rio Grande;
Old Courthouses were lit in little town squares,
As the merchants were busy selling their wares.
In Shiner and Schroeder in Yoakum and Runge,
Way down in Harlingen, Laredo and Palm Valley;
Weihnachten and Navidad are blended together,
Into one celebration the bigger the better.
O Tannenbaum, las Posadas, Cowboy Christmas,
Are all sung under one roof here in South Texas;
Where the cultures combine in a joyous delight,
To Celebrate together that most Holy of nights.
Written by: Kyle Boyd-Robertson
Beautifully and thoughtfully written, Kyle. Thanks for sharing.
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