Christmas all about comfort and joy

Dec. 24, 2006

SUNDAY SAMPLER/Sammye Pokryfki

Standing amongst a hundred or so people in the airport the other night, I got the first tingle of Christmas excitement. Carols played on the speaker in the arrival area, providing background music that mixed with the expectant buzz of the anticipatory crowd.

My youngest child was about to come through the gate after her first semester of college, and I couldn't wait to see her again. As we walked away arm in arm, the familiar words of &#8220God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” played overhead. I bet you know the refrain, &#8220Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.”

For the remainder of the night, I couldn't put the song out of my mind. The next day I was browsing a gift shop and saw those words etched into a plaque, and the following day, I received a Christmas card with the same message inside. (As Dave Barry says, I'm not making this up.) I believe more in serendipity than coincidence, and so I began to pay attention.

My husband and I have a running checklist of lost and fading words that are somewhat familiar but not commonly used - old-fashioned words like &#8220davenport” and &#8220credenza.” Into this category I would place the word &#8220tidings.”

Instinctively, I think we all know what tidings are: pieces of news, information meshed with greetings and a certain connotation of good cheer. But let's face it, when is the last time you heard someone say &#8220Good tidings!”?

It is a bit of a lost word, even though we understand its meaning. I sometimes fear that is true of Christmas in general - we understand its meaning even though it seems to get lost or faded in the increasingly commercialized modern world.

I suspect that many students, upon returning after their first semester at college, reflect on their feelings about coming home again. It is a relief to leave their dormitory box that they have shared with one, two, or even three roommates for the past several months. They sink into the comfort of home with a resounding &#8220Ahhh,” returning thankfully to soft beds, clean sheets, home-cooked meals, and friendly pets.

Life is good and the living is easy, even though they have to deal with their parents again. They reconnect with old friends. There is comfort in knowing that they don't have to introduce themselves or explain who they are.

This appreciation of home can only be gained by being away for an extended period of time. And we parents have a new appreciation, too, because we have seen a glimpse of the future, and it makes us cherish the time we share with our children now.

Last night, for the first time, my granddaughter helped me wrap a gift to place under the tree. She concentrated so hard to make her chubby fingers stick the tape on the fold line of the paper. When it finally worked, after three tries, she hopped to her feet, and danced with joy.

Walking downtown today on the snowy sidewalks, I heard at least a dozen people say to each other in passing, &#8220Merry Christmas.” Smiles were bright, shop doorbells tinkled, and grown men in business suits wore furry Santa hats in the restaurant, where laughter bubbled from every table.

Through repetition, the words in the familiar song began to have serendipitous meaning: traditions and beliefs are worth holding onto; you can go home again; laughter and good cheer are ours for the making. Tidings of comfort and joy are everywhere this Christmas.

Sammye Pokryfki lives and writes in Wasilla. Her Sunday Sampler column appears here regularly. Contact her at sammyepokryfki@hotmail.com.