C is for Christmas and Coffee
The Thought Presented
You don’t attend church, but sometimes it can’t be helped. So last Sunday you find your bottom already falling asleep in a pew when the pastor steps up to give his sermon. He looks out at his flock of sheep with a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he starts. What he says piques your interest.
“Take the first letter of your first name. Now think of Christmas words you can create with that letter.”
Huh. Not what you were expecting. Let’s think about this.
· H
Your name begins with an H so, of course the first thing you think of is holly. How much more Christmas-y can a person get. No one has a better first letter. Then you look around.
· J
Great Aunt Julie is sitting three inches taller in her spot on the pew. It only takes a moment for you to figure out why. Jesus. Of course Julie can claim the most beloved Son with her first initial. Since you are at her church, you guess you can also give her Joseph, joy, and jingle. Dang.
· K
Uncle Kevin is slumped a little. What word does he have? Kris Kringle? It’s not too bad, you think, but maybe Kevin doesn’t want to be portrayed as the guy in the red suit. You grab a pen and paper from your purse, write “kindness” on it, and pass the slip to him. He smiles his thanks. Then he writes something else on the paper and passes it back. It reads “kings.” Crap. He isn’t slumping; he is stoically bearing the weight of his kingdom.
· S
You look past Uncle Kevin to Aunt Sally who sits looking relaxed and serene. Of course she is! She gets all of the spirits — the Holy Spirit, the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To Come, the Spirit of Christmas. She gets snow, stockings, shepherds, star, and Santa Claus.
· M
Your friend, Martin, catches up with you after the program. He is super impressed with himself because he is merry Mary with mistletoe. You don’t mind deflating his ego a little when you ask him when he is going to buy his first skirt and what his wife will think. He smiles and cheekily tells you he is also mercy which he will now show you. And his wife would think he looks amazing.
The Best Letter
On the way home, you complain.
“I’m holly!” you proclaim. “Yes, it is a Christmas word, but it’s not very strong. I’m a weak Christmas.”
Your daughter gives you a sidelong look. “That’s all you came up with?” she asks.
“Nothing else begins with H,” you insist.
Your daughter ticks off words. “Holly, holiday, happiness, home, hope, holy, heard on high, and, most importantly, Heaven.”
Holy crap! You realize she is right.
You consider your daughter, Caroline. She was so nice to show you better words for your initial besides your random, weak “holly.” Surely you can think hard enough to repay her kindness.
“As a C name, you might just have the best letter,” you say.
“What do you mean?” asks Caroline.
“Think about it. You are a C. You are literally Christmas itself and everything it stands for. Your C gets you Christ which is unbeatable. There is also carols, cheer, Comet and Cupid, church, cardinals, candy canes, chocolate covered cherries, and coffee.”
Your brain freezes and you latch onto that idea.
“Yes,” you say slowly, mulling it over, “You truly have the best of everything — Christmas and coffee and coffee and coffee. Maybe we should stop at Starbucks and celebrate your good C name with some coffee.” You try to sound casual as you slip that last suggestion into the conversation.
“I think we’re okay,” Caroline says continuing to drive for home which takes you further from the beautiful call of the coffee shop in the opposite direction.
“Oh, come on! Christmas and coffee! What could be better?” you insist.
“Me pushing you out of the car into a fire hydrant if you mention coffee again,” Caroline says calmly continuing to drive in the wrong direction from the direction you now want to go.
You sit in the passenger seat and sulk.
“Never mind,” you pout. “Your C word for Christmas just became coal.”
“Fine with me,” Caroline says with a smirk. “Your H word is now Hell. Coal and Hell go together. We’re a perfect Christmas match.”
