" Decorating for Christmas and thinking about family and friends who are no longer with us - good memories. And I'm thankful for the ones with whom I can still share, and am committed to making some more good memories while I can. Most of all, thankful for my Savior who gives me hope and for this season to celebrate His birth. I love Christmastime."The memories he is referring to are good ones although very painful at times. More than once I've seen a glisten in his eye or felt a tear fall from mine as we hung old Christmas ornaments or spoke of Christmases long ago.
In the movie Shadowlands, C.S. Lewis has a line that I love. After discovering his wife has a serious illness, they take a trip through the countryside--at one point they stop and holding one another looking out over the vista, he says, "The pain now is part of the happiness then."
And it is so true. All of the joys we created in those Christmases long ago are why the eyes smart and the silver rivulets stain our cheeks now--
And so my dearest of friends, I wish for you many, many more painful memories made this Christmastime. May your heart be so full of joy and peace that years from now it will hurt bad, really bad just to remember...................
"The pain now is part of the happiness then." C.S. Lewis, Shadowlands |
Photo: A picture of an angel tree topper used over 60 years ago on my husband's tree--still using it today and it is one of those things that will bring the awesome painful memories to the surface-- © all photographs and text property of Dianne Hogue unless otherwise noted
