Christmas Eve is one week away! My husband and I have been feverishly decorating our house since the Thanksgiving weekend. We have a seven-foot tree that is filled with childlike ornaments to remind us of simple childhood pleasures. Many of our ornaments are Hallmark noisemakers that play TV or movie theme songs from shows like Happy Days, Knight Rider, The Waltons, Batman, Christmas Vacation, Fantasia, Frozen and other Disney films. Although I love angels, and have a plethora of angel figurines in every room of our house, Superman is our tree-topper – a 2019 Hallmark ornament commemorating Christopher Reeve’s iconic Superman role. And yes, it plays John Williams’ infamous Superman theme. Christopher Reeve flew into our hearts on 15 December 1978 – 41 years ago this month!

Although my husband and I are pop-culture obsessed adults who refuse to give up our animated Mickey, Minnie and Snoopy figures, we have not forgotten the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of the Savior. My childhood home always had multiple Nativity scenes, and our home is no different with seven different sets. Our primary Nativity, which is beneath our magical Christmas tree, is nearly 50 years old and once decorated my family home. The Holy Family and Magi resemble children dressed up for a Christmas pageant. Their childlike faces remind me of the importance of the babe in the manger and the verse from Matthew 18:3: “…unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” I have a giant Jim Shore Mary and Joseph and Susan Lordi’s Willow Tree Christmas Story. Both artists resonate with me because of the heart reflected in their pieces. Jim Shore’s works are “quilted figurines” to remind him of his grandmother’s quilts, and Susan Lordi sculpts faceless figures, especially angels. I have frequently gifted close friends with her pieces because I truly believe those angels can wear the face of anyone who assumes the role of angel in a person’s life. Because Jay and I both love Charles Schulz, we have two Peanuts Nativities – one Lenox and one Hallmark! There is nothing more innocent than the Peanuts gang. When we visited Alaska in June, we bought a polar bear Nativity scene. It is so adorable and a reminder of our “trip of a lifetime.”

When I reflect on past Christmases, the one thing that has me longing for home the most is the customs or traditions my family always practiced – attending Midnight mass on Christmas Eve and in the early morning on Christmas day and the homemade meals prepared by my grandmother, mother and aunt. Although I have an Italian surname, I am only one quarter Italian but half Polish. Since my paternal grandparents died nearly fifty years ago, we always celebrated Wigilia with my mom’s family on Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful tradition that meant the world to my grandmother. We fasted on meat all day and then broke the oplatek (Christmas wafer) before eating our dinner. We wished everyone good health, peace and prosperity in the upcoming year, as we shared our Christmas wafers. My grandmother made three different kinds of pierogies from scratch – cheese, potato and prune. I can still taste them in my imagination. My uncle fried fish he had caught himself. It was the meal I looked forward to most all year. After dinner, we opened presents. We were doubly blessed because we had a large family to exchange gifts with on Christmas Eve and then presents from Santa on Christmas Day. The miracle of giving was present in my house throughout the Advent season, whether it was giving of one’s time, talents or resources. It was magical. We appreciated Christmas because we had known the pain of loss at this beautiful time of year, and we had benefitted from God’s precious grace throughout good and bad times.

This Christmas marks the fortieth anniversary of the death of my grandfather. He died at one o’clock in the morning on 26 December 1979. Christmas Day of that year was the last time I saw him alive. That year, I got a Kissing Barbie doll, which I took to the hospital when I visited him on Christmas. Little did I know that I would be kissing him goodbye that day! I’m thinking more about him this year because of losing my grandmother in April. Christmas Day last year (2018) was the last time I saw her alive as well. I wore a Mickey Mouse necklace that lit up like Christmas tree lights in the spirit of illuminating her room. Toys literally helped me bid farewell to my grandparents, although I was unaware at the time! This year they are spending Christmas together for the first time in 40 years. My grandparents were remarkable people who were married for 40 years and separated for 40! I love symmetry. My grandmother never remarried because she said her “best man was in the ground.” She always ensured we remembered him by attending mass to mark his death on 26 December at 8am. We upheld this tradition until my grandmother was confined to a nursing home after she turned 100.

My grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma in September 1979, which metastasized to his lungs and spinal cord. One month later, my baby sister was diagnosed with leukemia. Both underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments at the same time in the same hospital. Pop was devastated when he learned about my sister’s illness and completely went to pieces when we told him. I often thought that he might have surrendered his spirit after three short months of fighting in order to petition God from a higher plane on behalf of my sister. My sister had battled like a warrior and nearly died three times, but with allopathic care and hands-on healing completely recovered. In February of this year, she gave birth to my parents’ first grandchild, two months before my grandmother died. My parents got their miracle grandchild after only 50 years of marriage! Christa’s son AJ met my grandmother for the first time on the day she died. None of us could have predicted that we would be given such a precious gift 40 years ago when our lives were steeped in chaos and uncertainty. God is good!

I was reminded again of those times yesterday as I was scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook. I discovered a Philadelphia Inquirer article that was posted by the Philadelphia Orchestra musicians. The Make-a Wish Foundation and the Philadelphia Orchestra gave a rare opportunity to a boy who is currently battling leukemia: They acquired a new cello for him and allowed him the chance to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra musicians. This orchestra is near and dear to my heart because they are almost 120 years old, the orchestra featured on Walt Disney’s original Fantasia (1940), and I studied with their Associate Principal Flute for nine years. They believe that the excitement and encouragement he received from this experience will have a positive effect on his immune system. I pray that this boy’s family receives the same type of miracle that my family got many years ago. ‘Tis the season of miracles!

As the final week of Advent ticks away, I will be reminding myself of the real reason for the season – the babe in the manger. I am excited to see this Christmas through the eyes of my precious Godson AJ as he celebrates his first Christmas. He is a miracle – just like his mommy. The ornaments on our tree remind me to open my childlike heart and never lose the hope of the season. I will be remembering the love, tradition and togetherness that were so important to my grandmother, even after my grandfather passed. I will honor their memory when I break the oplatek and take comfort that they are spending Christmas together after a long hiatus. As I finish this seasonal blog, I can’t help but think my book was completed at this time five years ago. That was a miracle as well. May miracles touch your lives and follow you into 2020! Merry Christmas!