A Not So Silent Night
Jim had to go to work so we missed the opportunity to see Carols in the Park at Berry College.
Every Year I would mark it on the calendar and every year when it rolled around there was a conflict. Except the year Jim was off from work with an injured foot.
We thought of getting a wheel chair to go but it all seemed like a lot of work for one night. Parking getting him on and off the bus in and out of the chair and what if he needed to go to the restroom…?
We decided to pass this particular year too.
One evening we were sitting around and Jim was feeling bad because we were missing out on our normal little traditions. I decided to make a list of everything we wanted to do but couldn’t and try it another year.
We listed off simple things like walk downtown and look in the windows decorated for the holidays and have pie at the Partridge Cafe. See Christmas concerts and Plays and somewhere on the list I wrote Carols in the Park.
Fast forward a couple of years later and we still missed it.
Jim was working second shift that night and was late getting home. I had started to become concerned but then I saw his headlights coming up the driveway. He always paused before he came in to make sure he pat the head and scratched the backs of our Labs but this night instead of coming in he knocked on the door.
It wasn’t locked so I threw it open slightly annoyed and to my utter surprise he broke out in Silent Night. and I probably would not have wet my pants except the Dogs were so offended by his… tone, they began to howl.
Jim would pause and when they stopped he would attempt to do another verse by the end of the carol they thought it was a game and would just randomly howl when he would open his mouth.
I stood there; breath held sides hurting from pent-up laughter wondering what in God’s precious name was he thinking. I didn’t dare laugh, you never know with the sweetest people in the world, sometimes it hurts their tender feelings if you laugh.
He sang the dogs howled and when it was all over he looked so sincere when he said “I wanted to give you everything on your list.” I could only look at him quizzically and then in great astonishment as he pulled from his wallet a tattered and worn list of all I had wanted to do for the holidays.
I was speechless. Touched. Curious. When the tears of happiness and laughter cleared I managed to clear my throat, take a breath and with a completely straight face ask which item was this?
He proudly held the list up to me and said “We can mark off Carols in the Dark.” Again Speechless.
Until the next morning at work when I was trying to tell Debbie about his moonlight serenade, our not so silent night and his annoyance when the Dogs would not stop until he did and she started to giggle and then I started to laugh, Unfortunately one of us made that God Awful snorting noise (I’m sure it was her) and that’s when I wet my pants.
Don’t worry though I am working on my penmanship!
Share your story! We would love to hear how you are living audaciously this season.
