Once again I will make my annual Christmas prediction–I predict there will be snow on Christmas Day!

I am not sure we should call it a prediction or “wishful thinking.”

One of the hard things moving south in 1973 was giving up my cold, wintery, Christmas’ and replacing them with often short sleeves and sunshine on Christmas Day. For the longest time it just didn’t seem right. I was use to seeing snow, if not on Christmas Day, at least sometime close.

In my mind I had taken a mason jar and filled it with the last snow I saw in Michigan, sealed it tight, and brought it to South Carolina. After all it was filled with memories of numerous snow angels, snowmen, sledding, and of course an occasional snowball fight with some of the neighborhood gang. In my mind I had closed that jar tight and sealed the lid with duct tape to be sure not to lose a drop. I wanted to keep my winter memories, especially around Christmas, intact.

I kept that jar on the shelf in my mind and from time to time would reach for it to refresh my memory of Christmas and many winters in my past. It was never too far from my reach. Sometimes on a bright, southern, Christmas morn I would reach for the jar to remind myself of cold, snow, and memories.

I recently watch a video of North River members playing in the snow one Sundy after church. It was cold. We were teching the little ones how to make snow angels. And, of course, a snowball fight broke out. For the first time in many years real snow and I were in the same place at the same time. I danced around like a kid, and somtime during the dance, I realized that my time for memory-making was far from over. The snow hadn’t gone from my life!

In my mind I peeled the duct tape off the mason jar, unscrewed the lid and poured out the water (that use to be snow). If I kept my winter memories sealed up so tight, how would I be able to slip in the new ones?

This Christmas, I wonder what memories we may need to give up to make room for some new and wonderful ones.

This is my story…