Twinsight 47 of 50: Experience the World

Cindy & Larry in Iguassu Falls, Brazil

Do you have a desire to see more of the world? Some days I'm completely satisfied to live our cozy little suburban life and have a business trip here and there that gets me out and about in the U.S. Other days, something piques my interest in experiencing life in parts of the world I have yet to see—visiting my great grandparents’ birthplaces in Iceland/Sweden/Norway, eating my way through Tuscany, worshipping with thousands of other Christians in Africa, taking in all the sights and smells of Beijing, skiing in the Alps, helping with a building project in Guatemala, walking where Jesus walked, running the beaches of Bora Bora, and the like. There’s a lot of world to see.

It feels challenging to fit travel into daily life right now—hard to find time to do the research, hard to justify the expense when we’re at the beginning of eight years of college expenses, hard to take a chunk of time off from work, and on and on.  I think there is a way, though, to have a travel mindset and be poised to take advantage of opportunities and good deals as they arise. But how do you live that out?

One couple who has done an amazing job of integrating adventurous travel into their lives is Cindy and Larry Pontinen. They grew up in Minnesota, and Cindy was Steve’s favorite babysitter when he was growing up. After they graduated from college, they got teaching jobs in an LA suburb and have been there ever since. They also owned a condo on Maui, and we’ve had the opportunity to stay with them in both places. They are a wonderful host and hostess! They each had long, impactful teaching careers, and are now retired. They have a passion for travel and have found a way to always be on a trip or planning the next one. I wanted to learn more about how they make that work so I asked Cindy the following questions, and thought you might be interested in her answers, too.

What got you interested in traveling?

For me, my mother was my inspiration. She always had a desire to see the world.  She always knew that when the last one left home (me), she would be able to afford to travel outside the U.S. and Canada.  For Larry, his desire to see the world came from his love of history.  He had always been an avid reader, and for him to be able to actually see many of the places he had read about was like a dream come true.  Because of our different perspectives, we also differ on our focus during our travels.  His is always to the historical and mine is primarily to the culture.  I am so interested in how people live. I think that interest comes from my mother's influence because she was such a people person.  Larry and I both love landscape and that must stem from our Minnesota roots.

The street coming to life one morning in Esna on the Nile River

What are your favorite places on earth?

Well, for the "ordinary," we would both have to say France.  We love France for its diversity.  Probably highest on our list for a place that is just fascinating, is so full of history, and has a culture that is so different from a western country is Egypt.  We both still remark that our recent trip to Egypt was by far the most educational trip we have taken.  We could repeat our itinerary because there’s just so much to learn about that country.

In Cairo

Do you travel on your own or with groups?
For many years, we gravitated to Europe and did all of our own planning, and we always rented a car to give us flexibility. That type of travel is really for people who are not worried about navigating a foreign country. We typically tried to cover areas we had not seen before, but we almost always ended our trips with a stay in Paris.

Now we have moved toward traveling with an organized tour because we are going to places that are not as well developed plus we are older! We talk with people to find out what their experiences have been with various tour companies, and then research to find out what itineraries the company has for the area we want to tour. We've preferred to travel with Overseas Adventure Travel because its groups are never larger than 16 people, and we feel we get the most value for our money. If at all possible, when planning a trip with an organized tour company, try to go into the start city several days earlier than the actual start of the tour. By going in early, you give yourself time to recover from the long flight and have time to see more of the city.

In Cuzco, Peru

Who are some of the friends you've made along the way?
Making friends while traveling started a long time ago when we returned from a trip to Germany in 1977. We connected with a young family from Germany, and through them, with another young family from France. We have all remained very good friends. We made another wonderful connection when we took our first organized tour in 2005. We met three couples from North Carolina and one from Arizona. We are now all friends and have all visited one another and traveled together numerous times since then. It is wonderful.

What's your number #1 tip for people who are interested in traveling more?
One of the most important factors to remember is that you must be flexible. As a couple, I see us always balancing each other in the hopes that both of us do not have a bad day on the same day!

An orphan from a small village school in Swaziland

Where are you going next?
We're always planning the next trip. We both hope that we will always be able to have a new and exciting destination on the horizon. That destination may very well be right here in North America, but it is always an anticipated adventure.

Thanks, Cindy and Larry! You inspire me and my family to expand our horizons and experience more of the world, and I appreciate your willingness to let me share your experiences and insights with others.

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Twinsight 46 of 50: Eat Your Way Across the Twin Cities

What's your favorite Twin Cities restaurant? We're no NYC, but for a Midwestern, smallish U.S. city, I think we have a nice variety of restaurants. Here's a list of some of my favorites along with favorites of friends who responded to a question I asked on Facebook. I love places with fresh, flavorful, healthful food and a nice ambiance for having a good conversation so you'll probably detect that bent in this list.

New Favorites

• Spoonriver - Downtown Minneapolis next to the Guthrie. Wonderful new restaurant I went to yesterday for the first time. Owned by Brenda Langton. (Remember Cafe Brenda?) Gourmet, contemporary, natural food that was presented so beautifully that I had to take it all in for several minutes before I started eating.
• Rosa Mexicano - Downtown Minneapolis. Fresh contemporary Mexican. Must try the fresh guac that they make at your table.

 Great Food, Great Ambiance

• Blvd Kitchen - Minnetonka. "Urban loft meets European farmhouse." Heidi's favorite.
• Biella - Excelsior. Quaint spot for an intimate dinner. 
• Broders - Minneapolis. Authentic Italian. Lisa's favorite.
• Cafe Latte - St. Paul. Come for the salads, stay for the desserts.
• Egg and I - St. Paul & Minneapolis. Classic breakfast spot. Lucinda's favorite.
• Haute Dish - Minneapolis. Creative twist on the basics. Lisa's favorite.
• Lucias - Uptown Minneapolis. Creative menu that changes weekly. Jane's favorite.
• Meritage - Downtown St. Paul. French cooking with local ingredients. Rebecca's favorite.
• Oceanaire - Downtown Minneapolis. Even more appetizing if someone else is picking up the tab. Both Joel's and Phil's favorite.
• Sample Room - Minneapolis. Wide range of plates you can share. Rebecca's favorite.
• Solera - Downtown Minneapolis. Great array of Spanish tapas. Rebecca's favorite.
• Travail Kitchen - Robbinsdale. DeLonn said that it's a fabulous place for a special night out. 

Favorite Standbys

• Big Bowl - Minnetonka, Edina, Roseville. Just good fresh Asian.
• Chipotle - All over. Steve's favorite, and our family's choice spot after church.
• Good Day Cafe - Golden Valley. Great breakfast food at any time. Worth it just for the popovers and pistachio butter.
• Good Earth - Edina and Roseville. My all-around favorite place to eat, other than at home.
• Lord Fletchers - Spring Park. Best summer lake hang out.
• Punch Pizza - All over. Our family's favorite pizza spot.
• Starbucks, Caribou and Dunn Bros - All over. Love all the Chai tea places we have. (I hear some people go there for coffee.)
• Zelo - Downtown Minneapolis. Always good business lunch spot.
• Yum - Uptown Minneapolis. Fun atmosphere and exceptional desserts.

Bon appetit!

Twinsight 45 of 50: Navigate the Rapids of Change

Cleaning out my office before our move

I love change.  Wait, let me clarify. I love change when it means something new and exciting, and I choose what it is…when it happens…what it involves…how it affects me. Yes, it’s all about me. Change by choice. Yes, that’s more like it! It’s refreshing to choose to get involved a new project that I’ve been looking forward to working on, get a change of scenery and temp by going on a warm-weather vacation about now, or spend time getting to know a new friend.

But what about change and the associated transitions that I didn’t choose…or didn’t expect…or might like but not right now…or never stop coming? Now, that can lead to change fatigue and be exhausting mentally, emotionally and physically.

I really have done my part to keep life reasonably steady in the last couple of years. Same husband. Same kids. Same house. Same job. But then there’s been unexpected change...not all bad, but not on my plan—a new parent company for my firm, lots to learn in my work with health care reform, new neighbors, the loss of some people I was close to, the economic downturn with all its ripples, the exponential growth of social media and the associated messages coming at us, a daughter moving to college, a new volunteer task force, and on and on. Even though I desire to move forward, something in me still wants to hang on to the musical chair behind me. It’s not that I want everything to be slow and boring. It’s just that the pace and sheer volume of change can leave me feeling like a gerbil on a wheel that eventually propels me into bed each night.

My coworkers and I are in the process of packing up our offices to move to a different location. Yesterday afternoon when I was packing and pitching files, I had a mental flashback to the day I walked into that office space on my first day with the company 14 years ago—actually almost to the day that we’ll move. In some ways, that day seems like yesterday. In other ways, so much has changed in the business world and in my personal life that it seems like a lifetime ago. But now it’s time for a physical change and the opportunity to get to know people in other parts of our business in our new location. So it’s exciting in many respects, but still change.

So how can we elegantly navigate life through the rapids of change? At times, I take it in stride. Other times, I become unglued! I honestly don’t have the answers and would love to here what’s working for you. Here are some things I’m learning:

• REMEMBER and process the past. Shakespeare once wrote, "He that lacks time to mourn, lacks time to mend." In the normal course of my life, I'm consciously allowing myself to think back to the days when our girls were around more, grieve my friend, Nancy, and even miss the good ol' days when the pace of change seemed more manageable. I'm finding that it's important for me to reflect back so I can move forward.
• PROCESS with friends who understand. We're not alone. Wahoo! Sometimes it's helpful just to vent and find out what works for others.
• STAY steady in who I am—my faith, my values, my family. Irene Peter, an American epigrammmatist (whatever that is!), once wrote,  “Just because everything is different doesn’t mean that anything has changed.” I remember once asking my dad why he had so many routine habits and why he kept his office and closets so neat and decluttered. He said it was because so much of owning a business and farming was out of his control so he controlled what he could to offset the uncertainty. For the first time in my life, I understand what he meant.
• MOVE forward in the face of uncertainty. I'd prefer complete clarity and certainty before moving forward. Like that's going to happen! In an article on the HBR Blog Network, Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggests that, "Uncertainty is one of the primary reasons that people resist change...Motivating people to try something new, or to get on with innovation is tough when the rules of the game are up in the air." The truth is that I need to make decisions, lead and follow in the rapids of life. I find that it helps to have some semblance of a plan. I know it will change, but editing seems less daunting than starting from scratch at any hint of change.

What works for you in navigating change?

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Twinsight 44 of 50: Ask Yourself, "What Would Nancy Do?"

Nancy Quinnell: 1960 - 2012

i'm in abbott. you could visit. new tough info. short on time in the world.

That's the text I received from my friend, Nancy, from the hospital a week ago Thursday (1/5 @ 10:45 am). We had planned to have lunch the next day at the Good Earth, the only place we ever had lunch. I'm thinking we had met there about 100 times (25 years x 4 times a year...yeah, that's about right). We only rescheduled under extreme circumstances. And this was really extreme. Nancy was dying after only a little over a year of battling cancer. Her body started rapidly failing and her amazing family surrounded her to say their goodbyes. She died the next day.

I had no idea how hard it would be to lose such a dear friend, particularly the human Energizer bunny who never met a challenge that she didn't take on with gusto. I hope heaven was prepared because I expect she's rockin' the heavenly places. Now I'm reminded of her at every turn - when I looked at the book on my night stand (which was one of 70+ books that our book club of four couples has read together...or at least skimmed during hectic months), when I made roasted sweet potatoes last night (which she turned me on to), when I grabbed spices (which she alphabetized), when I saw someone's bald head (which she took in stride), when we were deciding to go to the later church service (which she said was for slackers), and when our dog, Pabby, licked the tears from my face after I heard she had died (which reminded me of the way she always cupped his face in her hands and said, "Oh Pabs").

Right now it's all very raw - for her family as well as the hundreds of us who loved her. I'm so grateful for all the great memories I have of her. Here are just a few.

1998: Book club friends with kids swimming at the Siemons -
Joyce, Dawn, Christina, Caroline, Grace, me, Chloe, Nancy & Abby

1999: Photo for Tastemakers column in the Star Tribune...they selected Nancy's Red Snapper recipe to feature -
Karen, me, Nancy & Joyce

2008: Nancy loving their Lake Vermilion cabin when our whole group and our families stayed there for a weekend

2008: Celebrating Nancy & Tim's 25th anniversary - Nancy, Tim & Joyce (front); Scott, Steve, me, Karen & Jay (back)

2009: Celebrating Christina's Sweet 16 with our daughters (a book club tradition) -
Abby, Nancy, Christina, Karen, me, Leah & Chloe

2010: Celebrating Nancy's 50th - Joyce, me, Karen & Nancy

2011: Celebrating my 50th - Nancy, Tim, me, Scott, Steve, Jay & Karen

I’ve been thinking about what Nancy would do if our roles were reversed… and what she would say to all of us about how to spend the limited time we have on earth. Here’s what I think she’d say:

·    Love People, Animals and the Earth. Do something in your community that helps someone else. Be an advocate. Never compare yourself to others. Surround yourself with humans and critters of all shapes and sizes who can make you better every day. Enjoy making flavorful, healthy food with them and for them. Do your part for the environment by recycling and reusing perfectly good stuff.

·    Just Do It, For Crying Out Loud. Live life to the fullest. Push yourself to be your best. Don’t spin your wheels. Be decisive. Get to the heart of the matter and act on it. Create efficient systems so you waste as little time as possible. Stay in shape. Use failures to improve. Take the lead when leadership is needed. Get on the solution side. Focus on what you can impact. Find work-a-rounds to barriers.

·    Live Your Values. Start by knowing God and trusting that He will be there in the best and worst of circumstances. Fight for what’s right, even if it’s not popular. Do everything with integrity. Don’t think of yourself as better than anyone else. Stay positive. Keep the faith. Understand that in the end, that’s all that matters.

Oh, Nancy Carol. You've left a tall order. You packed more life into 50 years than most of us could into 100. We'll see each other again in eternity. In the meantime, your earthly legacy will inspire me every day.

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Twinsight 43 of 50: Keep a Running Dialogue with God

Friends from a Westwood prayer group:
Rebecca (and Kingston who born within days of this photo), Mary, me and Crystal

I grew up going to church, and it grounded me in many ways. For one thing, the importance of being faithful to the God who created me and loves me unconditionally was modeled. My dad grew up in the days when dressing up for church was an important symbol of reverence. He always wore a suit, didn’t ever miss a Sunday that I can remember, and was never late. One Sunday when I was about 12, I overslept and he and mom just left without me in lieu of being late. (I think she felt a little bad about it.) I was never late again! I also learned how important it is to love and serve the people around you as Christ did. I can recount literally hundreds of ways that I saw people serve one another in quiet, humble, yet meaningful ways during my growing-up years. I am grateful for this underpinning in my life.

But for some reason, I didn’t quite get the prayer thing. To me, prayer was language that someone else had written that I could repeat while half asleep and it was often far, far from what was really going on inside me. It was tune-out time. I did, however, learn how to send up 911 prayers—you know, when there was an “emergency” and I desperately wanted to God to fix something—NOW!

I can’t remember the precise moment when I started genuinely desiring to pray and have a running dialogue with God during my day. Maybe it was when we were trying to figure out if adoption was right for our family or when I faced work situations in which I felt way over my head (and probably was). Or maybe it was when I was coming to grips with the fact that my parents weren’t long for this world or feeling flawed and ill-prepared to raise strong, godly girls in this crazy world. I guess my growth has been, and continues to be, a gradual process. And that’s how God is. He doesn’t hit us over the head and knock sense into us (although we probably all could use that treatment at times). He is patient, loving and merciful and redirects us over time as we seek His best for our lives and direction through the ebbs and flows of daily life. Wow, I love that about Him.

Through all these situations and more, prayer has become critically important in my life—my lifeline, in many ways. It:

·    Puts me in the flow of what God and His Spirit are doing around me. In The Me I Want to Be,  John Ortberg writes, “Prayer, more than any other single activity, is what places us in the flow of the Spirit. When we pray, hearts get convicted, sin gets confessed, believers get united, intentions get encouraged, people receive guidance, the church is strengthened, stubbornness gets melted, wills get surrendered, evil gets defeated, grace gets released, illness gets healed, sorrows are comforted, faith is born, hope is grown, and love triumphs. In prayer—in the presence of God—we come closest to being fully ourselves.”

·    Gives me moment-to-moment strength and grounds me in his presence. In a little book called Perfect Trust, Chuck Swindoll writes, “Strength comes from choosing to fully trust, pray, and praise. Our circumstances may not change, but in the process we change.”  Some days—even this morning—I wake up and start to go into panic mode about something that’s concerning me about my day or have an ongoing uneasiness about something that’s lurking under surface of my life. Because I can fall out of trust so easily, I have learned that I need to discipline myself to wake up and immediately start my day praying about what He wants to accomplish through me in my day and for specific people He has put in my path. I put a daily alert on my phone with my prayer list so I don’t forget, and often write out my prayers and what I’m sensing God is saying so I don’t get distracted. I’ve been very high maintenance for God to train!

·    Bonds me with others like nothing else can. One of the deepest joys in my life comes from praying with others—one-on-one with a friend, more formally with a group, or with an attender who wants someone to pray with after services at our church.  When I think about some of our best times as a family, my mind’s eye goes to the four of us spralled out on our bed or sitting in our living room praying about something—a decision, a project, a friend…and together waiting and trusting.

Sometimes I am amazed at how the God of the universe wants to have a moment-to-moment relationship with me. I can’t see Him, but I know He’s there. And when He feels really far away, I know it’s more important than ever to restart the dialogue since He's not the one who has moved.

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Twinsight 42 of 50: Seize New Beginnings

Hi! This is Joann's daughter, Leah.

2011 has been a very exciting year for me. I have graduated high school, started my freshman year at college, made new friends, and am starting to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Here are a few highlights from my life...

April- Chloe and I are on our way to Cancun, Mexico for spring break.

In Mexico, I made a friend with a dolphin.

June- I graduated from Minnetonka High School. Our ceremony was held at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.

July- I traveled to Poland with Wayzata Evangelical Free Church. We taught English to families using the Bible.

Over the summer, I enjoyed working at Al and Alma's.

August- I moved into Bethel University in St. Paul. This is a picture of my roommate and I during Welcome Week.

Since I've been in college, my friends and I have learned that study breaks are needed often.



Also, I have learned that Perkins is pretty amazing at 2am.

Although college students like to wear t-shirts and jeans, we can still dress up pretty nicely. My friends, Allison and Rachel, and I attended the Christmas banquet at Bethel in December.



December - As the year ends, it is nice to see our cousins again.

Have a great 2012!

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Twinsight 41 of 50: Have a Blessed Christmas

Lighthouse Media team
Peter Swenson, Dan West, Steve Swenson

Hi, this is Steve, Joann's husband.  Jo has invited me to share the Twinsight this week.

Our family attends Westwood Community Church in Chanhassen, MN.   Each Christmas Eve, Westwood donates its Christmas Eve offering to people in need, both locally and globally.  Though Lighthouse Media (where I work with Peter and Dan) does most of its work in the medical technology industry, we also do work supporting non-profits and ministry organizations.  

For a number of years, we’ve been asked by Westwood to produce the video that introduces the cause/ministry initiative that will receive the Christmas Eve offering.  A few years ago we produced a video that shares about Westwood's partnership in Malawi, Africa, with World Relief.  Sara Groves provided the music. Click here to watch it.

It's a reminder that Christ came for all, and asks us to reach out to all with His love. 

Wishing you a blessed Christmas.

Steve

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Twinsight 40 of 50: Live Life Out Loud

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Hi, it's Chloe and I'm writing the blog this week...but I'm not into the writing thing so I'm just going to share some pics of highlights of my year...

In the spring I was in PINKALICOUS at Stages Theatre.
I was Dr. Wink (;

I also went to the GLEE concert! (In pic: Ali, Mollie, Jackie, ME, Heather, Leah.)
Favorite Part? MIKE CHANG, FINN, PUCK, AND BRITNEY.

This fall I went to homecoming for the first time with my FRIEND Jimmy and Heather and Perry.



Me with Mollie and Mikaylah at the HOLIDAZZLE :D

All in all I had a GREAT year! I made new friends. (In pic: Heather, Meredith, ME, Maddie, and Bree.)
I hope your year was as great as mine and that next year is even BETTER!
Love, Chloe <3

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Twinsight 39 of 50: See Life Through Your Dog's Eyes

Pabby howling, "I'm the king of my world!"

Hey, it’s Pabby, the Swenson family schnoodle. Welcome to my second blog post of the year. In my first post, I featured photos of some of my friends. I’ve been begging to post again, and now I finally have my shot. I deserve at least a couple of guest posts since I turned 50 this year, too…in dog years, of course.

I thought I’d start by telling you about the best book I read this year: The Art of Racing in the Rain which was written through the eyes of a fellow canine, Enzo. He’s observant and smart. It’s a good read and I highly recommend it. He inspired me to find my voice and give you insights into my family members through my vantage point - real, on-the-ground, daily life.

Leah, My Favorite

I’ll start with Leah, my favorite. She pleaded for me to join the family in the first place, named me after her imaginary friend, can find the sweet scratch spot on my back that makes me go wild, and kept every promise that she ever made to our parents about caring for me. Until now. Now she left me to live with a bunch of people who are strangers to me, read a lot of big books, and play with twerpy mice in a lab. And she doesn’t come home very often. Waaahhh! When she came home for Thanksgiving, I gave her many, many kisses but she still left again. Double waaahhh! I’m trying not to take it too personally and resign myself to periodic visits.

Leah and me



Chloe, My Friend Supplier

Through the years, Chloe has been cordial but between you and me, she's not exactly dog’s best friend. This morning she was frustrated that I was barking, and told me to shut up! But the squirrel who got to run all around MY yard was driving me crazy. Thank goodness for my perch (the spiral staircase) that allows me to keep watch on the whole animal kingdom of the area and keep them all at bay. Even though Chlo needs to up the love, there is some redemption because she has really energetic, good-looking friends. They are nice to me and speak to me in high voices which I love.

Chloe and me

Dad, My Maintenance Man

Dad is really good to me. He takes me to Glamour Pets (which is not as fru-fru as it sounds...) to get a big, big haircut when I’m getting too shaggy. And he arranges with our friend, Anne, to take care of me and let me run with the big dogs when my family goes out of town without me. And he takes me to see Drs. Jackie and Craig when I need check ups or swallow bright shiny objects. (Ask me about the quarter...definitely a bad idea in HINDsight...) As soon as dad drives in the driveway, I take my position with my front paws over the back of the couch ready to pounce on him as soon as he walks in the door. He's a good man to have around.

Dad, me and a humiliating costume

Mom, My Personal Trainer

I’m in really good shape, if I do say so myself. I have an "athlete's heart," the vet says, and quads of steel. I’ve trained my mom to get me outside most days for a walk or run. (Pssst...she’s slowing down. Kind of annoying, but I’m learning to live with it because I don’t have a choice. Really, who else am I going to train at this point in my life?) Here’s how the morning routine goes: I go outside, I eat, I make mom play fetch with me while she’s trying to do sit ups, I watch her read, I follow her to the bathroom, I bark until she comes out, I nip at her heels until she goes to the closet to get her running gear and the proverbial plastic bag, I eagerly await my leash, and, ahhh, I run like the wind. And yes, it’s all about me.

Mom and me

I love Christmas morning because I get this amazing treat - a bone with the beef jelly stuff in the middle that I can fixate on for hours. I'm really not sure what the rest of the fam does, but I'm good.

Gotta run. Figuratively and literally. Licks to you and yours this Christmas. And give your sweet puppy dog (or someone else's) a hug from us.

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Twinsight 38 of 50: Write Memories on Your Heart

Christmas 1998 with Mom, Chloe and Leah

Welcome to the wonderful craziness of  December where real life coexists (and sometimes collides) with the wonderment of the season...day-to-day work pressures intermingled with Christmas concerts and services...homework and finals alongside holiday parties...the pressure to sell wreaths followed by the joy of delivering one to the neighbors...shopping (which at least can start out fun) and hopefully leads to the satisfaction of finding something that will bring a smile to someone else.

You are in for a treat this month on Twinsights because you’re going to hear from my family. Our dog, Pabby, will share his perspective on life next week, and then Steve, Chloe and Leah will each share their highlights from 2011 in the ensuing weeks.

Today I'd like to encourage you to hit the pause button in life and think about Christmas memories that are etched in your mind. In her book, Cold Tangerines, Shauna Niequest writes, “When you’re with someone else, you share each discovery, but when you are alone, you have to carry each experience with you like a secret, something you have to write on your heart, because there’s no other way to preserve it." 

Like me, you probably have some memories that you've experienced with family members, friends and even strangers, and others you've experienced on your own or with loved ones who have passed away. But each of us has a collection of memories of Christmas that is uniquely ours. What memories are etched on your heart? Here are some of mine.

In My 10s
Friends in my home town dropping off plates of goodies because they knew that my mom didn't like to bake. My mom and I filling the trunk with 10-pound bags of beautiful red potatoes and delivering them to friends around the county. Feeling sad that we only had three people in our family and then mom inviting friends with no family to join us for Christmas dinner. Watching my dad take off to go on his annual Christmas shopping trek (to the Citizens State Bank on Christmas Eve morning where the color of the gift was always just right - green). Lying on my bed and opening up my Bible for the first time to learn more about the Jesus I heard about.

In My 20s
Driving into the driveway and bounding into the house after college finals to the familiar aroma of smoked Hangikjot filling every square inch of the air. Hearing about Steve's small town experience of being picked up for speeding on his way up to spend Christmas with our family when we were engaged. (Officer - "Where are you going so fast, young man? ...Oh yah, Bill and Bernice...I know them and Joaaaaaann. Nice family. But I still need to give you a ticket. That will be $20.") Learning to appreciate new traditions with the Swenson family - especially singing carols and playing our instruments (but avoiding some of the Swedish foods).

In My 30s

Watching my dad fall in love with Leah when we brought her to North Dakota for her first Christmas after he had been skeptical about adoption. The joy of having children around. Establishing our own traditions - some from our childhoods and some of our own, like going to the Holidazzle on the night after Thanksgiving to launch the season.

Dad with Leah on Christmas 1993

Chloe on Christmas morning in 2003

In My 40s
The fun of working downtown during the holidays with the decorations, music and activity. Pausing from the normal speed of life to ponder the impact of Jesus' birth on my own life and how embracing His love can translate into loving others more completely. Driving to church on Christmas Eve in 2009 only to receive a call from my mom's doctor that she might not make it, and the four of us surrounding her hospital bed in tears and her pulling through that Christmas and giving us a couple more very sweet weeks.

This is my first Christmas in my 50s so I don't have any memories yet! What I most desire to do this season is to carve out little snippets of time to enjoy a concert, read the Christmas story with our family, and simply have a cup of coffee (or Chai for me) with friends. One of my college roommates, Cheri, wrote this poem that I wanted to share with you. It's so simple, yet so deeply true. 

With college roommates Cheri & Ruth last summer

Dear friend

Come sit awhile with me

The coffee’s familiar aroma

Brings pause

The world’s sadness, our intimate

Brokenness

Always there

But for now, please

Sit here with me, I want to

Laugh with you

And dismiss the seriousness

At Christmastime

We recall,

He comes for all times

Laden with gifts

Our necessities

Comfort,

Hope,

Joy

Dear friend

Merry Christmas!

- Cheri Brady

Blessings on your Christmas season as you cherish old memories and create some new ones.

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