The Sounds of the Season

Christmas is here. I’m wondering if I really finished my Christmas shopping. We will soon see.
Today we will head to the Christmas Mass at 4:30. Maggie is coming. Maggie and church have an interesting history. She used to come with us all the time. But things changed over time. She hasn’t been to church in a long time.

When she was little people smiled sweetly at the little girl in the teeny wheelchair. One older man at our former church used to hand me money occasionally. That was bizarre, but very sweet. I would tell him no, but he was very insistent. I just threw it in the collection box over the protests of the boys who were quite insistent the man thought we should buy doughnuts.

After a couple of years Maggie found her voice. She could never “talk”, but she could really scream. And the quiet confines of the church made for great acoustics. Couple that with mom trying to get you to shut up and you have the perfect setting. She wasn’t upset or angry. She was doing a comedy routine for everyone in the quiet place. She thought it was hilarious. People stopped smiling sweetly. Maggie was disruptive. We would start out all together, but I would generally leave with her and walk around the neighborhood until the boys came out.


Now she has the trach and she can’t make any sounds. Her screams have been silenced. Ironic, isn’t it. Maggie still squirms and causes all sorts of trouble, but no one can hear her so they are back to smiling sweetly. Of course the noise of her screams will be replaced with the motor on the suction machine, but that’s only occasional. Tonight at Mass the little kids will be all dressed up and staring, mouths opened, at Maggie and all her paraphernalia.


Good times.


I hope the man who gave me money comes.


None of it matters. It’s Christmas and the church will be beautiful, the music will be beautiful and the peace of the Holiday will finally settle in.


I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.