Tuesday Tunes: White Christmas

As he drove the family around South Florida looking for prime Christmas light displays, my future father-in-law remarked that it was strange to celebrate the frozen, wintery images of a traditional Christmas season while cruising the neighborhood, windows rolled down, in 75-degree weather. I couldn't agree more. There is something inherently off about celebrating Christmas in a temperate climate more often associated with summertime fun. Perhaps my Midwestern upbringing has conditioned me to expect cold weather for Christmas. Perhaps the Christmas marketing machine has filled my imagination with cozy, cuddly Christmas scenes that assume a true Winter experience. Regardless, I find myself longing for the crispness of a chilly Winter day in which to soak up the holiday's warmth from festive decor, treasured friends and family, and lots of comfort food.

At no other time during the year do I so enjoy the cold that I actually wish for snow. In reality, I loathe digging out of a massive snow, and I dread scraping off my freezing car so that visibility through the windshield is good enough for legal driving. I especially hate when the snow gets "old" and turns black or starts to melt into a gray sludge. The bleakness of a long winter becomes clear when the snow melts, leaving behind chalky white salt stains on all outdoor surfaces until rain can fall again to wash them away. For a select few days, however, I actually hope for a dose of glistening, powdery snow. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve account for the days when I actually find snow acceptable, even desirable. The snow acts as a blanket for the world, quieting the hustle of the daily grind, and focusing attention on proper celebration of the Winter holidays. When I have nowhere to go and nothing to be responsible for, the snow is actually magnificent and beautiful, and I always feel fortunate when we are blessed with a holiday snow.

Bing Crosby more eloquently represents my sentiments in his rendition of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas." Enjoy listening, and have a blessed Christmas!