November 18, 2009 12:30 PM

A longing returns!

I have spent the better of today putting together a CD of Christmas songs for my granddaughter. She'll use it at a Christmas "sleepover" that she wants to have with her friends. Since it is in MP3 format - about 200 songs will fit on one CD. That's all right with me except that it just reminds me, as I play the carols and songs, that Christmas is a time of great joy and singing.

At church, the choir is already ramping up for advent and the lessons and carols service that is held annually along with all the other seasonal anthems and hymns. And, once again, I'm going to miss it! I really can't go back until after the holidays. I guess that I should take comfort in the fact that I will be going back and that shortly thereafter it will be Easter. Again a lot of preparation involved - but it's different. Christmas has all the carols, anthems, and songs with which we are all so familiar. Easter, to give it its due, does have a few old standards but the seasonal joy is missing as it is preceded by lent. A time for introspection and reflection. A time for looking inward - not outward. Easter is a day - Christmas is a season!

So I'm a little bummed today. But, at least, I do have the time to commit to the project. My granddaughter had a specific list of songs which I was fortunate enough to be able to address and I've buttressed that with a lot of other selections to help fill out the disc.

As they say, there's always next year...

Bob