december

it's december, and once again we find ourselves in the midst of another holiday season. i have to admit that i'm not in the same jubilant state i was in this time last year. that notwithstanding i have decided to do another month of sharing some of my favorite holiday songs.

still, when trying to determine the approach for this year's listing, i was quite challenged. you see i'm still wrestling with this sense of loss as i continue to adjust to the reality of what will be rather than what i hoped would be, and with that i've entered into another state of questioning who i am and what my life will be about.

one bright spot in this current time is the fact that amy grant (who long time readers of my blog know is pretty much at the top of my list of all-time favorite recording artists) has released a new christmas album. i was listening to one track and realized it would be the ideal song for this first day. the fact that the title is actually the name of the month of which this is the first day certainly contributed to my feelings of this being a natural choice, but an even greater reason for the selection is that it perfectly captures what i'm feeling at this place in time.

as i thought more about this song and the entirety of amy's new album, with it's more subdued and contemplative mood mirroring my own, i thought, "what if i approached this year's entire holiday song sharing using the same theme?" after all, i'm not exactly feeling up to dashing through the snow or rocking around the christmas tree. and so that's what i've decided to do.

with that i should share this caveat that if you indeed expected "happy, happy, joy, joy" from my indicating at the beginning of this entry that i'd once again embark upon sharing favorite holiday tunes, then this might not be the experience for you, but if you're good with songs that reflect the still, quiet and poignant aspects of this season within which we find ourselves, then i invite you to join me in this year's journey through some more of my favorite songs of the season.

last point. this is likely the most commentary i will make in an entry over the course of this month. in keeping with the theme, the vast majority of what i will write will be simple and spare. after all, even though these are my favorites, i'd like this to be as much about what these songs bring to life in your hearts and minds as they reflect what's going on with me.

december - amy grant from tennessee christmas