Christmas 2019

Our Home - Ready for Christmas Eve

     I like to write a Christmas letter each year. When I can, I prefer to start when it is still dark out and there is that “not a creature is stirring” kind of quiet. It is a time for reflection and thinking about family and friends that I will see later today but more so, those I will not being seeing today and those that have passed.
     For today’s edition, there is not quite that pre-dawn ambiance. Our Christmas Eve celebrations were wonderful and ran later than usual. As a result, I awoke after dawn. I have texted Christmas greetings to folks hither and yon including a bantering exchange with the inimitable Ara Topouzian. I am on my second cup of coffee and it is a rather late 9:05 am here in Chicago.
     This later hour, in the daylight, has me in a less reflective mood than normal. Maybe, this is just the result of already having texted or called many folks I would otherwise be thinking of right now. It could also be that in previous Christmas letters, I have already expressed what I would want to express now… again. Last year’s letter sums it all up better than this meandering attempt.
     Yet, I am still sitting in front of the keyboard typing whatever this is. I might have even started this later or perhaps not even gotten to it all but for a text from a friend: “I am assuming you are writing or have written your article. Have a wonderful Christmas.” Well, that got me to pour that second cup of coffee and to fire up the computer!
     Christmas and this season, the twelve days of Christmas, that begins with the Christmas most celebrate on December 25th and ends with Armenian Christmas on January 6th. In between, there is New Year’s Day which for some is a time to reflect on the past year and resolve what to do and how to behave in the new year. This year, 2019, we are closing out the second decade of this century. I really wasn’t paying much attention to this until I started reading a few retrospectives of which more are sure to follow in the next week.
     The past few years, I have lost two close friends. RK Jones passed in 2015 and Angel de la Puente at the end of 2018. Flat out, I miss these fellows. They were great friends who influenced my thinking and world view. I assumed it would last forever. Of course, the sentiment, love, and friendship never goes away. But the seeing and talking to them did come to an abrupt halt. I miss the latter. I miss them both but feel blessed to have known them and they are forever on my mind as are my sister Laura, my dad, my father in-law, our grandparents, uncles, and aunts.
     The beauty of life is while we lose family and friends, we meet and embrace new friends and family. First and foremost, in this case, are my grandchildren: Aris, Vaughn, Lara, Sasoun, and Haig. As they live in DC and LA, we do not see them nearly enough but thank FaceTime and WhatsApp for being to see and speak with them as often as we like. They are a joy that is immeasurable.
     Also, for some reason, Chirstmas time and the New Year make me reflect on

Service Award at North Park with
President Surridge and my North Park
mentor Leona Mirza

my work colleagues more than I might normally. I see them often appreciate them regularly at least in thought. This letter always seems like the time and place to do so more formally. I used to write a Christmas morning email to my colleagues in Latin America when I was at Colgate-Palmolive. Today, I am thinking of and valuing my friends and colleagues at North Park University and the wonderful folks I have performed music with this past year in the University of Chicago Middle Eastern Music Ensemble and the various Armenian groups I play with. Making new acquaintances at North Park with both students and colleagues has been a true blessing. The students keep me young, well, young at heart at least. And my musician colleagues? There is no description for nailing a performance with good and valued friends. Along with family, you all enrich my life.
     The closing to this letter has become standard. I see no reason to change it this year.

I know I will not see most of you this year. I am not sure if this is an Armenian or American tradition, but consider this my making the rounds, knocking on your door, wishing you the best of the season, and you inviting me in to meet you and yours over a cup of Christmas cheer. If I could do that in Detroit, Los Angeles, Boston, San Jose, New York, Wilton, Caracas, Mexico City, Yerevan, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Guatemala City, Panama City, or Ocala, that would be something. Heck, it would be something if I could do that with everyone I know in Chicagoland!

I close this letter the same way I did last several years. The sentiment is exactly the same with only the year updated. I am delighted to reach out this very quiet moment to friends and family all over the United States and all over the world to convey our warm Christmas wishes to you and yours. Even more so, I hope that 2020 is a year of health, happiness, and prosperity for you and yours.