Dateline December 25, 2009 -- Christmas Eve blizzard hits Midwest; thousands of holiday travelers are stranded as airports close and hazardous driving conditions cause numerous accidents. Authorities advise everyone to stay indoors -- don't go out unless you absolutely have to . . .
Well, last night Steve absolutely had to go out. He had been hired to play an 11 pm Christmas Eve service. Amazingly, while other churches were canceling their evening services, this one went ahead as scheduled. Snow was already piling up on top of ice from the sleet earlier in the day, making it slow going as Steve headed out the door around 9:30. He called to let me know he arrived. When he called about two hours later to say that he was heading home, the weather had become much worse. Greg and I could hear the wind howling and whipping drifts of snow against the house. We noticed that deep drifts had formed in front of the front door and the garage. Around 1:30 am he arrived home, having driven through whiteout conditions, zero visability . . . and then having to dig out those 3-ft. snow drifts in front of the garage to back the car in.
Oh, the things we do for money. Or love. Or maybe a little of both. On the surface, it seems impractical if not downright foolhardy to go out in a blizzard to play in the orchestra for a Christmas Eve service. It seems even more foolish to go out in a blizzard to attend one. According to Steve, this one was not well attended; no surprise there. But it was attended. A few hardy souls braved the snowstorm to attend the late service at their church on Christmas Eve. It may have been another gig to Steve, but I'm sure those who came to the 11 pm service very much appreciated all the musicians who made the effort to be there, too.
This afternoon we made another trek in the snow to attend our traditional Christmas Day dinner with my husband's family. We slid out our driveway and nearly got the car stuck in the unplowed street in front of our house. We made it up the street and onto clearer roads. Some snow was still falling, as was the wind chill; yes, it would have been easier (some might say wiser) to have canceled out and just stayed home.
When we arrived at my in-laws' house, we decided the best place to park (so we wouldn't get stuck on their unplowed street) was around back. This meant hiking through at least 4-5 inches of uncharted snow in the yard and then making our way up the as-yet-unshoveled flight of stairs to the door of the back porch. A minor inconvenience. Because, once inside, we were very pleased to see not only our immediate family members but also David, life partner to Steve's cousin Larry.
You see, yesterday morning, Christmas Eve, Larry lost his battle with cancer. David has been a member of the family for many years; he took care of Larry all through his illness and was with him when he passed away. As David said, it seemed strange to be at the Smiths' for Christmas without Larry. The two of them had been a fixture at our Christmas celebrations for years. We hadn't really expected to see him today, but we're very glad we did. Next week we will have a memorial service to attend. It will probably occur mid-week, about the same time the next snow storm is due to arrive. The highway patrol, meteorologists, and other authorities will issue the same warning: Don't go out unless you absolutely have to. Sometimes, we absolutely have to -- we need the paycheck, we need affirmation, we need the comfort of our family and friends.
Wherever you are, I hope you are enjoying a warm and happy holiday (inside, preferably near a fire; or, like my sister's family, maybe you're enjoying your holiday in a warm place like Florida). If you absolutely have to go out, be safe. And know that somebody appreciates you being there.
Peace,
Emily
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