The Sun – A Poor Man’s Blanket
A For-giving Christmas
Ron Alexander
For three straight years in the early 80’s, we anchored at uninhabited Little San Salvador Cay in the Bahamas over the Christmas holidays. “We” were crew and students of sailboats from IFS – International Field Studies - (teaching sailing, navigation, island geology and marine identification). The Cay has a large anchorage with turquoise clear water and a large pink sandy beach. At the Southern tip is a orange, green, red, blue coral reef loaded with a sparkling rainbow-colored marine life plus edible fish & lobster.
As a teacher/captain, I enjoyed being away from stores and the heightened commercialization of the holiday. Our celebration was simple. The nearby reef was an abundant hunting ground, and we captains and crew caught and cooked a
sumptuous feast – lobster, grouper, and the versatile conch – conch salad, conch fritters, & fried conch for the Christmas Day Dinner.
Early in the day we drew names for gifts. Only one gift per person, and with nowhere to make a purchase, it would require some ingenuity and creativity. I will never forget the sweetness and humor provided by these simple gifts handed
out after dinner on Christmas day. A nice little manger scene crafted from
pieces of coral found on beach was my favorite gift. A funny little poem composed especially for the recipient was a welcomed frequent read during the after dinner exchange. I usually gave a nice shell I found while hunting underwater or sometimes a specially prepared (sautéed with ginger sauce) lobster tail for an addition to the meal.
These special Christmas days were satisfying compared to my childhood
memories of getting up early for Santa and gorging on many gifts and
so much food that by the afternoon, I was left feeling sugar sick and frustrated that there were nothing left to open. There is a lot to be said for simplicity - who is richer - the poor man with the warm sun and an abundant amount of food for family or the anxious last minute gift shoppers (like me historically)? As Thoreau said “most men lead lives of quiet desperation”. Sure I enjoyed my gifts but something always seemed missing?
In my elder years, 1 realized what was “missing” was the giving that fills and
soothes the soul! The "empty" feeling of youth was from expecting more
instead of giving to others. Furthermore, I can create my own
deserted island in my life right here and now. This is a place of silent
stillness that has all the peace I need, and prayer/meditation is all the sailing vessel
I want, with the Lord as my Pilot! I actually had a peaceful faith-building dream while sailing solo in the Gulfstream that Jesus was at the helm.
Yes, except for those three island Christmases, and a few times when I really got into the sweet energy of this special Holy Day, I have been a “Humbugger”,
I am going for change of attitude this year. I am going to try to get my
Mom and Aunt down here from near the mountains. It will need a miracle.
Mom is under nursing care, and I will need to build in some handicap assistance in this family beach house, I have been restoring more than two years. I will build a scrap book both paper and digital for Mom, and a digital frame for her and Aunt Jo’s Birthdays. and honor them with a great Merry Christmas of giving and receiving. If she feels well enough, Mom really wants to come down…”I know, Son, that it is going to be hard to be down there for Christmas, how about my birthday?” Her birthday is Dec. 26th - Bless her heart!
P.S. It has really reduced my normal holiday distress creating this scrapbook for Mom.
I highly recommend creating a gift instead of anxiously shopping for one.
The book is also for my dear Aunt Laura Jo Berry, as she has been like an “Aunty Mame” for me – a wonderful combination of Aunt, Sister, & surrogate Mom that is so valuable to one growing up. Also, like my beloved Grandmother – Bubba, who spent the last years with her dear sister – Dot Dobbs, Mom and Laura Jo live together. Sisters can
truly be like “blossoms in a garden”.
A For-giving Christmas
Ron Alexander
For three straight years in the early 80’s, we anchored at uninhabited Little San Salvador Cay in the Bahamas over the Christmas holidays. “We” were crew and students of sailboats from IFS – International Field Studies - (teaching sailing, navigation, island geology and marine identification). The Cay has a large anchorage with turquoise clear water and a large pink sandy beach. At the Southern tip is a orange, green, red, blue coral reef loaded with a sparkling rainbow-colored marine life plus edible fish & lobster.
As a teacher/captain, I enjoyed being away from stores and the heightened commercialization of the holiday. Our celebration was simple. The nearby reef was an abundant hunting ground, and we captains and crew caught and cooked a
sumptuous feast – lobster, grouper, and the versatile conch – conch salad, conch fritters, & fried conch for the Christmas Day Dinner.
Early in the day we drew names for gifts. Only one gift per person, and with nowhere to make a purchase, it would require some ingenuity and creativity. I will never forget the sweetness and humor provided by these simple gifts handed
out after dinner on Christmas day. A nice little manger scene crafted from
pieces of coral found on beach was my favorite gift. A funny little poem composed especially for the recipient was a welcomed frequent read during the after dinner exchange. I usually gave a nice shell I found while hunting underwater or sometimes a specially prepared (sautéed with ginger sauce) lobster tail for an addition to the meal.
These special Christmas days were satisfying compared to my childhood
memories of getting up early for Santa and gorging on many gifts and
so much food that by the afternoon, I was left feeling sugar sick and frustrated that there were nothing left to open. There is a lot to be said for simplicity - who is richer - the poor man with the warm sun and an abundant amount of food for family or the anxious last minute gift shoppers (like me historically)? As Thoreau said “most men lead lives of quiet desperation”. Sure I enjoyed my gifts but something always seemed missing?
In my elder years, 1 realized what was “missing” was the giving that fills and
soothes the soul! The "empty" feeling of youth was from expecting more
instead of giving to others. Furthermore, I can create my own
deserted island in my life right here and now. This is a place of silent
stillness that has all the peace I need, and prayer/meditation is all the sailing vessel
I want, with the Lord as my Pilot! I actually had a peaceful faith-building dream while sailing solo in the Gulfstream that Jesus was at the helm.
Yes, except for those three island Christmases, and a few times when I really got into the sweet energy of this special Holy Day, I have been a “Humbugger”,
I am going for change of attitude this year. I am going to try to get my
Mom and Aunt down here from near the mountains. It will need a miracle.
Mom is under nursing care, and I will need to build in some handicap assistance in this family beach house, I have been restoring more than two years. I will build a scrap book both paper and digital for Mom, and a digital frame for her and Aunt Jo’s Birthdays. and honor them with a great Merry Christmas of giving and receiving. If she feels well enough, Mom really wants to come down…”I know, Son, that it is going to be hard to be down there for Christmas, how about my birthday?” Her birthday is Dec. 26th - Bless her heart!
P.S. It has really reduced my normal holiday distress creating this scrapbook for Mom.
I highly recommend creating a gift instead of anxiously shopping for one.
The book is also for my dear Aunt Laura Jo Berry, as she has been like an “Aunty Mame” for me – a wonderful combination of Aunt, Sister, & surrogate Mom that is so valuable to one growing up. Also, like my beloved Grandmother – Bubba, who spent the last years with her dear sister – Dot Dobbs, Mom and Laura Jo live together. Sisters can
truly be like “blossoms in a garden”.
