2004-12-25
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS from the archives ~ 25 december 2000
My friend Lorraine and I have a tradition of going to the ocean on Christmas morning and witnessing the sunrise | It got started after a dear friend of Lorraine's passed away from congestive heart failure | Prior to that passing she had promised the friend that, once he'd recovered, they would go to the beach and do just what we have done every year since that time | When he died, she went to the ocean anyway |
She vowed to look for something that indicated that he was aware of her sojourn | Sure enough, on the way back from the ocean, along the side of the spur road back to I-95, there was this tree, alone and not near any dwellings or stop points | It was adorned with ornaments and garland | She stopped and added ornament to them |
The next year, I joined her on the trip | During that year a close friend of my own had passed on (Brian C.) and I wanted to pay him my respects | It also seemed a perfect way to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas |
Every year we meet in the middle of nowhere at 5 a.m.
and armed with coffee, hot cocoa delectible cookie treats, and ornaments | We park our vehicle where we are able | Sometimes we're far from the beach; on other occasions, the gate to a state parking lot has been open and we go right to the edge of the sand |
Over the years, the conditions have varied | Only once was it impossible to actually see the sun (due to heavy rains) | Other times the beach was almost totally eroded away (from early winter storms), or unseasonably warm | We never know what to expect | And we find things | Horseshoe crab shells | Starfish | Strange pieces of driftwood and styrofoam |
We share and reflect upon what's happened to us both during the past year, and pay silent rememberance to our friends who have passed away or with whome we have lost touch |
And we add our tribute to the tree | To both of us, it seems a much more suitable to pay our respects to this holiest season |
Merry Christmas everyone | ¶ 01:02
My friend Lorraine and I have a tradition of going to the ocean on Christmas morning and witnessing the sunrise | It got started after a dear friend of Lorraine's passed away from congestive heart failure | Prior to that passing she had promised the friend that, once he'd recovered, they would go to the beach and do just what we have done every year since that time | When he died, she went to the ocean anyway |
She vowed to look for something that indicated that he was aware of her sojourn | Sure enough, on the way back from the ocean, along the side of the spur road back to I-95, there was this tree, alone and not near any dwellings or stop points | It was adorned with ornaments and garland | She stopped and added ornament to them |
The next year, I joined her on the trip | During that year a close friend of my own had passed on (Brian C.) and I wanted to pay him my respects | It also seemed a perfect way to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas |
Every year we meet in the middle of nowhere at 5 a.m.
and armed with coffee, hot cocoa delectible cookie treats, and ornaments | We park our vehicle where we are able | Sometimes we're far from the beach; on other occasions, the gate to a state parking lot has been open and we go right to the edge of the sand |
Over the years, the conditions have varied | Only once was it impossible to actually see the sun (due to heavy rains) | Other times the beach was almost totally eroded away (from early winter storms), or unseasonably warm | We never know what to expect | And we find things | Horseshoe crab shells | Starfish | Strange pieces of driftwood and styrofoam |
We share and reflect upon what's happened to us both during the past year, and pay silent rememberance to our friends who have passed away or with whome we have lost touch |
And we add our tribute to the tree | To both of us, it seems a much more suitable to pay our respects to this holiest season |
Merry Christmas everyone | ¶ 01:02
