Candy2520Canes2520and2520Christmastime2520cover_thumb255B3255DWe are days, hours even from the biggest gifting, making, baking, mailing, visiting, hosting, wrapping, singing, cooking, things-to-be doing holiday of the year, not to mention the commemoration of Christ’s birth; I am not entirely ready.

As I was happening upon this realization last week this festive little book showed up in my mail box. I flipped open to the list of contributors and knew friends had come to call; (Segullah’s own) Linda Hoffman Kimball has an incredible collection of friends, and as reading this book it’s easy feel numbered among them. In truth, that’s exactly what she’s hoping for, filling the pages with the wise, honest, inspired and often humorous words of her “entourage of thoughtful friends.”

Indeed, several contributors come from the Segullah staff ranks (Jessie, Shelah, Catherine A., and Kel). It’s not hard to read their words and feel lifted. I laughed out loud at the specifications to participate in Lori Merkley and Stacy Russell Harker’s “Obsessive Compulsive Christmas Cookie Exchange.” I sympathized (and laughed) when I read Shelah’s own Christmas cookie epic. Sherrie L. M. Gavin’s stories made me open my mind and eyes to Christmas experience and appreciation outside of my own knowledge and opportunity; I wanted to ask her to tell me more. I wished I could reach out and hold Aimee Evans Hickman’s hand as she related the significance and celebration of the atonement in the memorial ornament atop her family tree.

Spending all year wrapped in tissue, this tiny emblem of the infant son my parents lost at birth seemed appropriately to emerge at the celebration of the life of another infant Son. Every year, my sisters and I took turns placing the carriage at the top of the tree- our star.

And as always Linda’s own words shine with sincerity and kindness and make you wish to read her vast collection of fabulous Christmas letters. But even with out those all in the end notes of the book, I was delighted with the ideas and insights the book was filled with. The quick read was a pleasure and lifted my outlook for the haul of things to do in the days ahead, but most importantly it reminded me why we remember to any of them at all. What a glorious season Christmas is, what a glorious gift Christ is. And how lovely it was to be reminded by such a stellar grouping of friends. I think it’s just the thing to gift to some of mine (and thank heaven for guaranteed two day shipping and instantaneous e-book delivery, since we are living in the “real world”.)

This book is an addition to Linda Hoffman Kimball’s collection of down-to-earth essay compliations. Reviews of other books in the series here and here.


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