Although our Thanksgiving holiday is past, this Advent season of preparation for the great Gift of Christmas is also a time to remember the blessings in our lives, especially the people in our lives. Truly the people who care for us and for whom we care are gifts from God to us, and they awaken in us the true Spirit of Christmas that is God’s love.
I recently experienced the loss of my beloved Uncle John, the next-to-youngest of my late mother’s siblings and last surviving child of my Polish immigrant grandparents. What is easing the pain of this loss are the memories I have of spending more time with him over the last few years, getting to know him better, listening to his stories and songs while visiting him down on the family farm, where he lived all his life. Although he was born here, his parents were born in a part of Poland that was, when they immigrated to the United States, under the rule of the Russian Czar. My grandfather, who I never knew, was a farmer and a blacksmith, and my grandmother was a farmer’s wife and mother. Their children all worked in the garden when they were growing up, and my Uncle John lived on the farm all his life, with his wife and three sons. The farm has been in the family now for over 100 years – Uncle John’s middle son, my cousin Paul, still plants a garden every year, though it’s quite a bit smaller than when the family depended on it for their livelihood. It’s a special place for many of us cousins – my cousin Eddie referred to it in a letter as “the Hub of the Universe” – which touched my Uncle’s heart deeply.
Uncle John was I loved to listen to him sing a song in Polish or just try to teach me words in Polish. I loved his stories. Through him I learned more about my mother, grandparents, and other aunts and uncles.
Even more importantly, we both learned how special it was for us to say to and hear from each other the words, “I love you.” They are three words we all want and need to hear and need to say to others because they need to hear them too. They are three most wondrous words and can bring healing, mend fences, restore a relationship, and bring peace. Some people don’t know what to say or do when someone says to them, “I love you.” For some, it can be difficult to know how to respond, even though the feelings of love are there. My uncle used to laugh and say, “Me, too!” Then, when I believe he became more comfortable with the words, he began to respond with “I love you, too.” Those were the last words he said to me on my last visit with him before he passed. I will treasure this memory forever.
On Christmas, God spoke the Word and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God said to us: “I love you.”
Love calls for a response, and we, as Christians, are called to do much out of love. As we respond to this call with loving words and actions to the people and world around us, might we not also take a moment to respond to God’s gift of himself with these words to God himself: “I love you, too!”
Merry Christmas!
Inventing My Universe 