Silent Night Tradition

Hardly unique to thousands of church all around the globe is the tradition of singing Silent Night at Christmas Eve services, and the church I attend is among them. One little twist on it, is the tradition of outwardly showing your love the the people close to you. Giving them a hug and telling them how very much they mean to you.  The first year I attended this church was the most meaningful.  My whole family attended that service, and it had been a while since we had been so overtly affectionate. It brought tears to my eyes.  Tonight, (yes, I know, it isn't Christmas Eve, but it is the service that fit my schedule) I teared up once again. But this time for completely different reasons. Time marches on and things change. Not one of my children were there to give the traditional hug to. If it is so true that absence make the heart grow fonder, that might be the reason for my tears. But I really think it is because each of them is so special and I wanted the opportunity to tell them each on this night, in this special place and this special service.