Friends in Low Places

 What a wonderful Christmas Eve gathering at First United Methodist Church. We got there right at seven and the only seats we could find were way down front. 

Absolutely beautiful music from the choir, an outstanding and inspiring sermon about "friends in low places" from the pastor, Dr. Valerie Loner, and what fun to sing those carols with a large sanctuary full of people as I sat with my Sheila, Lillian, Jordan, and Margot -- who added her soft comments, gurgles, and smiles.

Afterwards we got the stroller from the car and spent a while walking Broad Street on this amazingly warm Christmas Eve. Then, WOW! -- The City Creamery was open!!! So we four grownups all got an ice cream! 

Then we ran into two of the three Williams boys who grew up with Lillian.

Now the baby sleeps, Jordan is stretched out on the couch reading, and I am in my easy chair tapping out these words while Sheila and Lillian torture us with the mouth-watering smells of their busyness in the kitchen, preparing for our Christmas breakfast.

I am actually a very happy, if sentimental, old geezer, but I often find my eyes clouded with tears of gratitude, and a bit of guilt, that I have lived 78 years -- already 11 years longer than Daddy, or Daddy Shaw, and even 7 years longer than Papa Baird.

I am glad I didn't miss this night - the music, the sermon, the candles -- even the one that wouldn't stay lit --- the baby's smiles, the ice cream, the walk, the delicious smells, with these loved ones.