Celebrating Holiday Joy

23. December 2010 by pat desmond.

Shaquille O’Neal Conducts the BSO

My son, Timothy Ambrose and his wife of four months, Annie, came to Boston for a few days.

They are already back in California, enjoying the rain, and I’m here in Milton, feeling very chilly.

But I have my memories and they are better than I hoped.

We shared time with my daughter and her two children. June and the kids live in New Hampshire. We don’t often get together as a family any more. The problem is we live in three separate states. Getting all of us in the same location depends on work schedules, school schedules, plane tickets and the weather.

This year we’ve had a few times together.  There was the engagement party in July, the wedding in August and now our pre-Christmas weekend. It took me seven months to coordinate the travel plans so we could all be at the engagement party.

I loved every minute of family time. I get so little of it now that my two children are grown with families of their own.

Monday my son, his wife and I went to the BSO’s Holiday Pops. It was spectacular as the orchestra always is. A show of pomp and circumstance, signifying very much. Christmas music soothes the soul.

And then there was Shaquille O’Neal moving onto center stage in his giant tuxedo. Does anyone know how tall Keith Lockhart might be? He looked about half the size of the hoopster. But both men conducted themselves very well.

Listening to the Pops play “We Are the Champions” just seemed so politically correct. It is the season of love and peace. Shaq and the BSO made Christmas a little merrier for everyone who had the good fortune to be in the audience.

The holiday season is a chance to take time from the rush of life to celebrate the joy of family, friends and simple pleasures. It’s all about the joy.

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