Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be.  
Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

Saturday, November 29, 2008

City sidewalks...

I love listening to Christmas music.  When I was a child our family tradition was to listen to our first Christmas tapes (yes I mean cassette tapes I am a child of the '80s) on our drive back home from Thanksgiving with my grandparents.  It was a rule:  No Christmas songs until after Thanksgiving.  I have to confess that over the last few years of living on my own I've broke the tradition a bit.  Actually I've been listening to Christmas music for about a month now.  Not because I want to hurry on the Christmas season or rush past the goodness of Thanksgiving, but because I like the music.  It just puts me a good mood.  

Last year I got James Taylor's new Christmas album and all the tracks quickly became some of my new favorites.  I have several songs that I like, but the one I want to share is "The River."  It was new to me, but I think the song has actually been around for a while.  Its not what I would call a real Christmas themed song.  Its more of a song about winter and actually the lyrics are a little depressing now that I look over them, but something about it resonates.  The description of winter reminds me of Georgia.  Since its lyrics are so sad I'll add another song with a bit more Christmas spirit for good cheer.  Okay this isn't what I'd call my favorite Christmas song of all time by any means, but its from this video tape my sisters and I used to watch every year and for that reason I love it.  As I remember, Rachel especially insisted we watch it every year.  Warning:  What you are about to watch is very '80s with puff bangs and all.   

Sorry about the links, I was having issues with posting the videos.  

Just, Margaret

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joni Mitchell's "River" is a GREAT Christmas song, one of my favourites. It's not uplifting but it does have that sweet roller-rink Christmas sadness. I saw Sarah McLaughlin do a fantastic version of it at the lighting of the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree in 2006...