Very few things make me want to get up and make a fool out of myself like Amy Grant’s CD Home For Christmas. Bought in 1992 (yes, you read that correctly – nineteen ninety-two), this CD is probably considered a Christmas heirloom these days. My college roommate and I played it continuously throughout the holiday season of our freshman year. We rocked out to “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”, transforming our hair picks into guitars. We were the original guitar heroes. Then, of course, our eyes wet and throats choked up with tears, we would sit on the floor, in our dimly-lit dorm room and listen to the song “Breath of Heaven”. To this day, when I listen to that song, (hands down the most played tune I own on CD) I can’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. I laugh as I recall our deep thoughts and musings through tears on how anointed that musical composition was. I cry because I still believe it is one of the most anointed songs I’ve ever heard.
Christmas isn’t Christmas until I’ve rocked around the Christmas tree at least a dozen times (pick in hand) and bawled my eyes out to Breath of Heaven just the same. I honestly hate doing it alone. It was way more fun with my college roomie. Maybe it’s time to pass on my pick and fabulous dance moves to my children, although I suspect I may be scaring them a little bit when I get all jiggy with it. Oh, well.
I’m so thankful to Amy, my college roommate - who is still one of my dearest and most cherished friends ever – for e-mailing me yesterday just to say hi and share this memory with me. College just didn’t realize our coolness and the awesome dance moves we created in our cramped up shoebox of a dorm room. We were way ahead of our time. I’m thankful for my lifelong friend, lifelong memories, Amy Grant, and the fact that I’m still limber enough to pull off a good ol’ “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” jig.
Christmas is all about giving, and today I’m remembering the gift of laughter my friend Amy has always been quick to give to me. She inspires me to smile when I want to cry, dance when I want to pout and give when I want to hold on. I wish I could wrap up a dozen gingerbread lattes, Bath and Body Works soaps and lotions, and thirty minute deep tissue massages and send them all to you, but that won’t happen (for obvious reasons). Instead I’m just going to share a little laughter (hopefully), and a quick run down memory lane. Maybe it will inspire you to do the same – to share a laugh or two with some friends (me included…that would be nice!). Or, perhaps you’re just dying to rock around the Christmas tree. Believe me, it’s catchy and it’s fun (just don’t rock out so hard that you knock your tree down).
In any case, I’m going to head downstairs now, pop in my Home For Christmas CD, turn up the volume, grab a kid or two, and start rockin’ out.
"Rockin' around the Christmas tree. Have a happy holiday. Everyone dancing merrily in the new old fashioned way!"
(Music and Lyrics by Johnny Marks - 1958)