Holiday Juxtapositions

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Juxtaposition is a crazy word; at least, I’ve always thought so.

It means to place two or more things side by side, often to compare or contrast. Juxta is Latin for “next to.” The first known use of juxtaposition was in 1654. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). There are juxtapositions all around us at Christmas time.

First, there’s the market onslaught of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, extended holiday shopping hours, and non-stop advertisements juxtaposed with warm feelings, gift-giving, and charitable contributions. 

Then, there’s rushing around to get everything done, cleaning the house, cooking food, entertaining family and friends, juxtaposed with the peace of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. 

Andy Williams nailed it. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Except this year, we have our own juxtaposition. 

Early in the evening on the last day of November, our forty-one-year-old son Daniel had a massive stroke. All indications are that it will significantly change his life and ours. It’s a bad time of year for a loved one to be in the hospital. Then again, there’s really never a good time.

Dan’s life has been punctuated with medical trauma. So it’s not his first rodeo, except this pony really knows how to buck! 

Walking down the hallway of the hospital’s neuro-intensive care unit, I couldn’t help but see into patient’s rooms. It was an invasion of privacy, but hard not to look. These folks won’t be attending any Christmas parties. Some were elderly, others simply unlucky. They all presumably have loved ones with their own juxtapositions this season.

Christmas is always a joyous time for our family. Like many families, we have unique traditions, like playing Beatles music when we open presents (I shared that story in my book). We won’t be doing that together this year.

At first, MJ and I weren’t going to get a Christmas tree; we weren’t exactly feeling the Holiday. Then again, we’ve had a tree every year of our life. So, in the end, we cowboyed up and got one. It looks nice, and it brightens the house along with our Spirits.

There are lots of folks facing juxtapositions this holiday season, especially families in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, and Russia. Plenty of people are facing them here at home, too, like the forgotten people in tent encampments we see along the highway on the way to the hospital. There are even more people facing the holidays alone. 

Dan was in Minneapolis Children’s Hospital over Christmas about thirty years ago. We were touched by how difficult that was, and in following years, we took gifts to the kids there to brighten their holiday. What breaks our heart also breaks it open. That can be a good thing!

Juxtapositions have many angles. Dan’s stroke happened in Oregon, allowing us to be with Julia, Ryan, and our granddaughters over the Holiday. That’s wonderful! Life’s a “whole meal deal,” juxtapositions and all.

 I’ll close with Hallmark sentiment, which for us this year has deeper heartfelt meaning…

“May your Holiday be bright and your loved ones safe and healthy!” 

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