Well, after our scare last week, my son’s Covid test came back negative. PHEW! Instead of getting the whole family tested, going into quarantine, and calling everyone we’ve come into contact with, life can continue on as normal. And suddenly, normal seems pretty good!!! My son was intensely sick for one day, then had some residual tiredness the next, and after that has been feeling well. We can’t figure out what he was sick with, and none of the rest of us got it. We can move ahead with life, which means it’s time to choose our holiday themes!
Every year, I coerce my family into choosing their own personal theme for the season, based on a line from a Christmas song. For example, two years ago mine was “Joy to the World,” my brother-in-law’s was “Laughing All the Way” and my sister’s was “Let Nothing You Dismay.” My son likes to refer to the fact that we live in Florida- his themes have been “Roasting on an Open Fire” and “All the Way Home I’ll Be Warm.”
Last year mine was “Joyful and Triumphant,” which is interesting- it shows how different my mindset was a year ago. This year our themes are a little more… subdued. My sister’s is “In the Bleak Midwinter” and I keep thinking of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”- not the happy lyrics, but the melancholy version.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was written in 1943 for the movie Meet Me in St. Louis, and the original lyrics were REALLY a downer: ‘Have yourself a merry little Christmas/It may be your last/Next year we may all be living in the past.” Sheesh! I haven’t seen the movie, but that must have been a real low point.
Luckily, the composer was persuaded to change the lyrics to a lightly less morose version: “Let your heart be light/Nest year all our troubles will be out of sight.” A few years later, Frank Sinatra sang the song for his Christmas album and asked if they could “jolly” it up a bit, and the third set of lyrics was written. Instead of hoping for a Merry Christmas in the future, the new lyrics are in the present tense and “Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow” was replaced with “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.”
I’ve always preferred the happier version, but this year the melancholy lyrics seem to fit perfectly. “Someday soon we all will be together/If the fates allow/Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” The whole song could be a theme of 2020, but my official personal theme for this year is the line “Next Year All Our Troubles Will Be Miles Away.”
No one sings it better than Ella!
And then of course there’s been some…
We’re back to tank top wether, but the good kind- it was 63 degrees early in the morning for this run. Oh yeah… THIS is why we live in Florida! We pay our dues during the summer, but now we’re heading into the most beautiful time of year. I walked one mile and then ran two- not exactly a long run for Sunday morning, but I’ll take it! Yes, I was injured this year but I can’t really blame that on 2020. I had nine great months of running before having to stop, and it looks like I’ll be able to finish off the year running again.
Anyone else have a personal theme for this Christmas season?
3 Responses
I love that you choose a theme for the year AND that you encourage your family to do it as well. Fun! I used to pick lines from holiday songs as a theme for our cards, alas that has fallen by the wayside. Enjoy that great running weather and let’s hope we’re leaving all the troubles in 2020!
I’m glad your son’s test was negative. I have a friend from work I was worried had the GI version, but her test was negative. She was really sick for 4 days and still isn’t 100% – at least working from home she can go lay down for a bit without having to drive home first!
I love your tradition of a Christmas theme, and the “history” of those lyrics. I think the “muddle through” lyrics fit well, although I’m not ~quite~ that glum.
Hi Coco- yes, as we get closer to the day I’m not feeling as glum either- maybe I should change my theme to “hang a shining star upon the highest bough!”
Glad your friend doesn’t have Covid, and hope she’s okay for Christmas!