Opening Words from Sun. December 13 by Andy Stanton
Good morning!
This is the time of year when most of the world has celebrations. Whether they are religiously based or a way of getting through the darkest time of the year, the winter solstice. When I was a child, my family celebrated Hanukkah, where we lit candles and exchanged presents. I was aware that most of the country engaged in the far more elaborate celebration of Christmas, but that was foreign to me and something I could not not comprehend. As I became an adult I stopped celebrating Hanukkah and was quite content with attending my office holiday party, and that’s it. However, when I married someone who enjoyed Christmas celebrations and we had our daughter, Christmas became an important part of the month of December, although we did not celebrate the religious aspects of it. And, to my surprise, it’s something I’ve learned to enjoy.
When we moved to St. Louis 3 1/2 years ago and joined the Ethical Society of St. Louis, I was surprised to learn about the celebration of Good Cheer. If I’d encountered it 30 years ago, I would have had no interest in it whatsoever. But I like it and have been involved in its preparation each year. This year we will not be having our usual Good Cheer meal and entertainment in the Becker Room, which I will miss greatly, but we will still be celebrating online. Not the same, but I’m glad the Society’s making the effort.
This year, our family’s celebrations will be curtailed. No getting together with friends and relatives. No attending music and theater performances. No eating out at nice restaurants. No participating in choral performances.
But things are looking up. Trump lost the election. I’m well and so are my family and friends. The Covid-19 vaccine is starting to be released so there’s every reason to hope that, over the next few months, our lives will gradually come back to normal and that next year we will have our traditional celebrations – including Good Cheer.
To close I’d like to quote from those great philosophers, Kool and the Gang:
Yahoo!
Kool and the Gang
This is your celebration
Yahoo!
This is your celebration
Celebrate good times, come on
Let’s celebrate
Celebrate good times, come on
Let’s celebrate
There’s a party going on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you, come on