Bruce Catton writes about that in the 3-volume history of The Army of the Potomac which from the passages my spouse is reading to me, sounds amazing. It's a Library of America volume.
Christmas, with all of its beauty, ingrained or intentional, is for EVERYONE! We are so happy that you enjoy the season, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year!!
Ramona, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! ❄️ I’m thankful this is the year I found your work. You are one of the main reasons I got brave enough to start my Substack, and I owe you a huge thanks for that, too!
Looking forward to learning more from and with you in 2024. ✨
I appreciate this. I continue to celebrate Christmas even though it doesn’t mean quite the same to me that it does to others. I love the title here, from the heathen you know. I will get together with family, some Christian and some not, exchange gifts and celebrate family. I hope yours is beautiful.
Yours, too. Our second Christmas without my husband, Ed, who was also their father, their grandfather, their uncle, and it leaves such a void. But we all have happy memories we'll be sharing, I know, so we'll have many laughs among the tears... 💕
Thanks for reminding me of the World War I story. It's beautiful...and heartbreaking. "My" Carolina wren is tweedling his lungs out on the back of our settee as I type. I'm going to spend some time this season thinking about how nature doesn't have "holidays" but still seems to celebrate all year long. You are a gem, Mona. A sparkly, precious gem. Happy all the things!
This will be my third Christmas without Dan, so as others have said - it is very different. December 25th is also his birthday. We will get together and he will be with us even in his absence. I wish you happy holidays , Ramona, and a lovely new year.
I didn't realize you also had this Substack! Subscribing now! And yes, I love all of the Christmas aspects, though I recently moved myself from agnostic to atheist. It's hard to break old habits, sometimes.
There's a wonderful movie about that brief truce called Joyeux Noel, and a book by Stanley Weintraub called Silent Night.
I'll have to look for them. Thanks. It's such a fascinating story. I've often wondered how spontaneous it really was.
Similar moments happened during the Civil War and they were separate from Xmas. The WWI event was spontaneous as far as I remember from the book.
Everything I've seen says that, too. I didn't know about the Civil War.
Bruce Catton writes about that in the 3-volume history of The Army of the Potomac which from the passages my spouse is reading to me, sounds amazing. It's a Library of America volume.
Peace to you as well Mona and to us all.
Indeed. I wish we all lived closer. 🎄❤️
Me too.
May the peace you share come back to you
Thank you. And to you. ❤️
Dearest Mona,
Christmas, with all of its beauty, ingrained or intentional, is for EVERYONE! We are so happy that you enjoy the season, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year!!
❤️❤️
The same to you and your family, Kathy. 🎄💕
Ramona, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! ❄️ I’m thankful this is the year I found your work. You are one of the main reasons I got brave enough to start my Substack, and I owe you a huge thanks for that, too!
Looking forward to learning more from and with you in 2024. ✨
That's so kind of you, Erika. I'm glad to be of help, but your success is all you! ❤️
I appreciate this. I continue to celebrate Christmas even though it doesn’t mean quite the same to me that it does to others. I love the title here, from the heathen you know. I will get together with family, some Christian and some not, exchange gifts and celebrate family. I hope yours is beautiful.
Yours, too. Our second Christmas without my husband, Ed, who was also their father, their grandfather, their uncle, and it leaves such a void. But we all have happy memories we'll be sharing, I know, so we'll have many laughs among the tears... 💕
Thanks, Maureen. His absence is so acute right now, for all of us, but we will find joy. We always do. 💕
December 23rd -- a Festivus for the rest of us!!
Thanks for reminding me of the World War I story. It's beautiful...and heartbreaking. "My" Carolina wren is tweedling his lungs out on the back of our settee as I type. I'm going to spend some time this season thinking about how nature doesn't have "holidays" but still seems to celebrate all year long. You are a gem, Mona. A sparkly, precious gem. Happy all the things!
Thank you, dear Elizabeth. Is it okay to smile through Festivus? Just wondering...
I'm going to smile a lot, picturing you celebrating along with nature and Carolina wrens. What could go wrong? 💕
Nothing will go wrong! There, I've said it! 💪
Noted!
This will be my third Christmas without Dan, so as others have said - it is very different. December 25th is also his birthday. We will get together and he will be with us even in his absence. I wish you happy holidays , Ramona, and a lovely new year.
Ah Maureen, Thank you so much - it does change things.
Oh, no! Hard enough that it's Christmas, but Dan's birthday, too. Glad you'll be together with your family, as I will be. They're my treasures! 💕🎄
Now on to 2024 and whatever it has in mind for us.
I didn't realize you also had this Substack! Subscribing now! And yes, I love all of the Christmas aspects, though I recently moved myself from agnostic to atheist. It's hard to break old habits, sometimes.
Thanks for subscribing. And welcome, fellow heathen! 💕
Blessed Be fellow Pagan!
And to you, Ramona.
Thank you!
Merry Christmas, Ramona!
Thanks, Kevin. You too.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Ramona. Yours is a good voice to hear today.
Aw, I’m so glad. Thank you, Alan.
I believe these truces would also occurred during the US civil war.
Thanks for the Christmas post. Many many spiritual celebrations in December.
My Christmas story:
Mary's Child
Mary's Child; Rock, Rock Your Baby
Mother Mary how do you feel
On this wondrous morn
A child of woman child of God
Unto you is born
Angels ringing heaven
Trumpets sounding joy
Mother Mary how do you feel
Holding your baby boy
Rock, rock your baby
Rock, rock your baby
In your arms and in your heart
Rock rock your baby
Father Joseph how do you feel
Adopting Mary's first born
You shall raise him strong and kind
And keep him safe and warm
Angels ringing heaven
Trumpets sounding joy
Father Joseph how do you feel
Holding your baby boy
Rock, rock your baby
Rock, rock your baby
In your arms and in your heart
Rock rock your baby
Now this song is about a wonderful event
that happened many, many years ago.
But it is also a song about blessed events
that happen every night and every day.
Angels ringing heaven
Trumpets sounding joy.
So
Rock, rock your baby
Rock, rock your baby
In your arms and in your heart
Rock, rock your baby
Malcolm McKinney 1995
Thank you Ramona, this is very beautiful❤
Merry Christmas to you too. May the spirit of the season settle gently on your shoulders as you continue to shine your light so we may walk the path.