Matrimonial Maggie, Is it really Christmas?

Maggie arrived safely in Kansas City yesterday. She was picked up by Stacy Ledford’s sister who lives there. I remember the airport there. Mama and I flew out occasionally; we were pretty poor when we lived there so we drove almost everywhere. Our daughter Victoria was born in Kansas City, Missouri and she is definitely a “Show Me” individual. She was due in mid-January so after Christmas I drove over to Ripley, West Virginia to get Grandma so she could help Mama after the birth.


As you might imagine, the weather was not good but it was not particularly bad. There was some ice and snow and patches of the road required very slow and thoughtful navigation. I made the trip over in about eleven hours. I spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa’s and started back toward Mama in the wee hours of the next morning.

Grandma was worried about the roads, about me getting tired, about leaving Grandpa, etc. so she talked the entire trip. She was nervous and apologized several times for talking so much but she did succeed in keeping me awake. A little over twelve hours later I pulled into our driveway in Kansas City, hugged and kissed Mama and said, “You take her for a while.” I put in ear plugs and went to bed.

We are assuming Maggie is in Kansas City to formalize her future plans with Aaron Ledford. I can imagine my prospective son-in-law being a nervous wreck about the whole matter even though the two of them have had extended conversations about the issue. Honestly, I would rather have it that way as opposed to him being cavalier and overly confident about the question at hand.

Maggie asked me about Aaron many months ago and I gave her a similar answer to the one I gave her sister concerning the man she was looking over. “When looking at a young Christian man in his early to mid twenties you have to remember that you are not seeing the finished product; that will be many years and many life experiences in the future.

What you are looking for is the raw materials; a love for the Lord, a kind heart, a strong work ethic, someone who honors their mother and father, a young man who’s eyes search yours to see the depth of your question and answer it from an equal depth of the reserves of his own soul. A man like that is a man you will grow with in the Lord, in love, and in life.” I am pretty sure she has found such a man.

In this last working day before Christmas I have to ask, is it really Christmas already? I feel like I need to back up a couple weeks or maybe a couple months. So many things have pressed on us since we left New Jersey that I have missed the whole “getting into the Christmas spirit” thing. But when I really think about it, what I really miss this Christmas is the constant attention of little ones to remind me that it is their excitement about the season that inspires ours.

I miss that pure joy you see when Christmas is mentioned; the widened eyes, the impish smiles, the marked up store flyers, the unreserved exuberance when in the toy aisle at the store, the sense of expectation. Right now I am overwhelmed by the hemorrhaging bank account - what a “Bah, Humbug”

I still have three days to find that Christmas joy. With Mama Kim’s help, I can make it if I try.