Old fashioned words

Most of the popular songs of this holiday season have been around for decades. Each generation dons their gay apparel while learning to fa la la or rum pa pum pum. From Silent Night to Jingle Bells, from carolers at the door to humming along with the radio, we find comfort in the familiar and in annual traditions where such songs are enjoyed. But how often do we really pay attention to the words? Well, if we did we would see that carols are full of words that we no longer use in every day conversations. Words like joy and rejoice, hark and herald, glory and gloria. In fact, my computer automatically capitalized that last word, making it a name instead of a noun.  

On the other hand, some of the words, like calm and bright, are common and used in different contexts , like “calm down!” or “what a bright child!” that their meaning for the season needs to be clarified. And who ever examined or understood auld lang syne? Like Sally told Harry, “maybe we’re meant to remember that we forgot. Anyway, it’s about old friends.” Her practicality hastes us to the feelings that accompany different stanzas and tunes. Mommy kissing Santa may make us smile and sleep in heavenly peace make us wistful or teary.

With all that as a foundation, my tiding was going to be that we be intentional about the words we are singing or enjoying, try to be conscious of their meanings or images. But then I realized that was an awfully big order and I know that I would end up losing much of my enjoyment of the tunes if I concentrated solely on the words.

So I’m going to borrow an idea that a blogger friend posted last January. She challenged her readers to pick a word for the year and shared that hers was joy. A pretty good one for December. I’m going to suggest you take your favorite carol or song and select a word or phrase that becomes your theme through the holidays. I think I’m going with ‘wonder,’ both a verb and a noun and will anticipate feeling awe and admiration for some miraculous and remarkable happening – I will wonder as I wander, every day.

Let me know what word or phrase you pick and may such a simple activity of paying attention make these days merrier than we’ve had in long time.

Peace,

Marilyn