Vive LaFrance: Life as I know it

I wrote this last night. Posting is a whole other process….

After Paul and I took a walk through the snow showers I now sit here by the fire watching the snow gently falling and I’m feeling philosophical…

It’s November 29, 2021, the first Sunday of advent. A time of preparation and joy — reflection and awaiting Jesus Christ.

Where the heck did tradition go?! I love fall, the leaves changing color, the crunch on the fallen leaves under your feet, the smell in the air and of course sweater weather.

Halloween is not my jam but it has its fun moments. We would have picked up our tradition of a haunted house in the cold because it’s just plain ole fun but all the ones of interest required a mask. Nope! It was outdoors but I wouldn’t mask indoors either. Moronic. Brainwashed – maybe just brainless zombies?!

Then with the fall still underfoot we begin to prepare for Thanksgiving. I do Love a good family gathering – only my grandmother did not join us. My uncle (who am I not a fan) was invited because it’s the right thing to do. He refused to come because of the unvaccinated (oh the horror). Isn’t the vaccine supposed to protect you from the unvaccinated? Where did common sense go?! I mean, I know the truth, I know it doesn’t work. I know you need a second and third and fourth and the fifth booster. I know the unvaccinated are still being pushed to take the first vaccine that doesn’t work – hence the constant need for another booster. This man had the audacity to “request” that all the unvaccinated take a rapid test Thanksgiving morning, wear a mask when not eating, along with other demands, in order for him and my grandmother to come. Funny how my grandmother is with the same group of people (us), minus this uncle all year. She does not believe in masking but gets confused and she is easily intimidated by him at almost 95 because confusion is her new normal. It was not his house, he was not doing the cooking. My husband (with his back out) did the majority of the cooking, my cousin was hosting and made my Great Grandmother’s traditional cardone soup. Her daughter made all the desserts. We graciously bring everything over to my cousin’s because my great aunt is 92 and is not doing well (I do coax a smile for photos). Plus my cousin has the table to fit us all. We all work well together. This was most likely my aunts last Thanksgiving. My uncle caused my grandmother to miss it. She missed her grandson who drove in to see her, she missed eating a wonderful home-cooked meal. He convinced her that she must stay at her independent living home and eat in the crappy dinning room that she complains about incessantly and have their Thanksgiving dinner with him. He manipulated her because of his fear. He is a weak man. He’s not a manly man. My husband is a blessing. Masculinity is not dead. I think it is a choice. 

But in the end we had a wonderful, jovial Thanksgiving. A lovely family tradition — of seven.

Now Advent has begun and I want to stay mindful of the reason for the season… It’s still Jesus and it always will be. If you don’t believe I don’t understand why you make something secular. It’s trivial. The last thing I want to be in life is trivial. I tell everyone the 12 days of Christmas starts on the 25th! Prepare and decorate, sure it’s fun… after Thanksgiving. Then all of December and January… yes, all through January we celebrate. Too many people rush to take everything down and put it away. Then it ‘s cold and bare and in much of the country it’s winter. Why would we not wan tto keep it warm a cozy and joyous?

Why not give autumn its season. Why not give Thanksgiving some gratitude.

Why not prepare for the coming of the Lord in due time and then let the Christmas season begin and let it keep going!

My favorite Christmas Carol or one of them is actually in advent song… last two verses seem perfect for this post.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
O come, Thou Bright and Morning Star,
And bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
And turn our darkness into light.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid all our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

If you read this I hope you will put faith over fear.

I pray you take time to reflect on life, family, tradition… Maybe remember a tradition from your youth. Maybe start it up again.

I don’t know why so much was lost. I remember unboxing all of our Christmas decorations and decorating the tree as a family. We talked about each ornament and where and why it was given to us. I still have some of mine as my mother passed them on. Paul and I have the same tradition. He might not participate in decorating the tree but he does put it up and deal with the lights. But I make sure all of his favorite ornaments are in his a line of sight from where ever he is… be it the living room or from his chair at the kitchen table. His favorite by far is Santa.

When we follow tradition we build upon them each year. It gives us wonderful memories. I’m thankful for my memories from my family and from the past 19 years with my husband. I will never allow them to be taken away.

I hope you fight for your family. For tradition. For personal freedoms. For openness of faith.

Fake words like “woke“ need to burned in effigy. Do the millennials on down even though what “burning in effigy is?” Is that even taught? It seems like all they are taught is to take candy from strangers.

Oh, if you didn’t realize it I will not comply.

I choose faith over fear.

I choose tradition.

I wish you all a blessed and profound Advent.