Things that Endure

Things that Endure
by Emily Lang

I have a favorite ornament on my Christmas tree

It’s a red apple — its handle a white candy cane with red stripes that have gone crunchy and are peeling away from a once shiny veneer.  My name, Emily, is handwritten, probably with a white paint pen, in my grandmother’s shaky hand. We lost her almost 30 years ago, but there she is, a perpetual part of our holiday celebrations, year after year, after year.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about things that endure.

Maybe it’s the recent political elections … there’s so much fear and uncertainty as half the country pounds their chests in victory while the other half laments a loss.  It was our nation’s 60^th presidential contest and a difficult battle to be sure, but here we are again with change as the only certainly before us.

Maybe it’s the passing of time, seemingly happening right before my eyes as our son transitions from boyhood into young adulthood. We all watch as our families morph into something new each year, our roles changing with the seasons. It’s unfair, really. The bratty child in me wants to stew in comfort, not adapt and then adapt again! But here we are, another holiday season upon us, and adapt we will.

Over the next several weeks, the fortunate among us will make old family recipes and gather around tables, remembering those we have lost while basking in the laughter of those with us still. We’ll recount stories we’ve heard before, letting little ones in on family lore. They’ll tell those stories someday if we are lucky. They’ll hang their own red apples.

This holiday season my wish for us all is that we enjoy what is, that we share what we have and that we find comfort in things that endure. For me, it’s the love of family – and the warmth that comes from the familiar sights and sounds of another holiday.

Wishing you peace in this season and always.