This year I had it in my heart to share the christmas dinner with my fellowship group of all the singles in the campus.The girls who had a day off went for shopping and those of us who were working continued to work.
I managed to pick up some nick nacks for all the ladies from Jabalpur when I went for my christmas shopping.The menu was a roast which incidentally came out beautifully with vegetables and the girls cooked a lovely curry with inards and a soup to warm our cold souls.The marble cake graced the occassion beautifully both cup-cakes and a bigger one.
We read the christmas message,sang some christmas hymns ,prayed especially for all our families and members of the fellowship who were away.Shared our gifts and then enjoyed our dinner.
Every year,our christmas families change.Atleast that has been the case ever since I have joined the missions.
I remember christmasses all the way to celebrations around bon-fires making new friends,amongst drums and tapping feets,amongst non-beleivers who opened their doors to strangers abroad,amongst friends in the lap of all things grand like cathedrals ,blueberries,and traditional christmas lunches,tension of bruised egoes,being on duty on christmas eve resuscitating patients back to life,eating dinner in the villages sitting on the floor.
My childhood christmas stories were more predictable.It was about family gatherings,christmas carols,christmas stockings,mom's delicious cakes and tea in the beautiful crockeries,the church and the sunday schools where old christmas post-cards handed out by the sunday school teachers brought so much of joy to our hearts.It was also about the post-man delivering christmas cards to our doorsteps,love feast in the church and ofcourse new dresses.I remember one christmas shopping where my sibling ,who was hard to please, had made up her mind that she wanted a gown for christmas.Reading about christmas gown is onething but getting the village tailor to make you one is another thing altogether.You would have to talk to our village tailor about the limit to which his skills have been tested by us.
My older sister's 'seventeen magazine' with Brook Shield in various attire used to be our sample book .My sister stuck to the purple gown she wanted and she got it.Getting a shoe to match the purple gown was another story altogether.
I also remember celebrating christmas in south avenue in Delhi with a host of extended cousins who were doing so for the first time,I think .I remember dancing around the christmas tree,two people around that tree have passed away eversince.Our hindu neighbours then used to be an MP from Bihar and one from Rajasthan..all the children were part of the celebration.
I really have no idea what christmas will be like next year ,what family and where I will be celebrating it but that strange longing and a feeling that there is something better..a Home where I will belong someday will continue to haunt me ..till then I will continue the celebrations........
I managed to pick up some nick nacks for all the ladies from Jabalpur when I went for my christmas shopping.The menu was a roast which incidentally came out beautifully with vegetables and the girls cooked a lovely curry with inards and a soup to warm our cold souls.The marble cake graced the occassion beautifully both cup-cakes and a bigger one.
We read the christmas message,sang some christmas hymns ,prayed especially for all our families and members of the fellowship who were away.Shared our gifts and then enjoyed our dinner.
Every year,our christmas families change.Atleast that has been the case ever since I have joined the missions.
I remember christmasses all the way to celebrations around bon-fires making new friends,amongst drums and tapping feets,amongst non-beleivers who opened their doors to strangers abroad,amongst friends in the lap of all things grand like cathedrals ,blueberries,and traditional christmas lunches,tension of bruised egoes,being on duty on christmas eve resuscitating patients back to life,eating dinner in the villages sitting on the floor.
My childhood christmas stories were more predictable.It was about family gatherings,christmas carols,christmas stockings,mom's delicious cakes and tea in the beautiful crockeries,the church and the sunday schools where old christmas post-cards handed out by the sunday school teachers brought so much of joy to our hearts.It was also about the post-man delivering christmas cards to our doorsteps,love feast in the church and ofcourse new dresses.I remember one christmas shopping where my sibling ,who was hard to please, had made up her mind that she wanted a gown for christmas.Reading about christmas gown is onething but getting the village tailor to make you one is another thing altogether.You would have to talk to our village tailor about the limit to which his skills have been tested by us.
My older sister's 'seventeen magazine' with Brook Shield in various attire used to be our sample book .My sister stuck to the purple gown she wanted and she got it.Getting a shoe to match the purple gown was another story altogether.
I also remember celebrating christmas in south avenue in Delhi with a host of extended cousins who were doing so for the first time,I think .I remember dancing around the christmas tree,two people around that tree have passed away eversince.Our hindu neighbours then used to be an MP from Bihar and one from Rajasthan..all the children were part of the celebration.
I really have no idea what christmas will be like next year ,what family and where I will be celebrating it but that strange longing and a feeling that there is something better..a Home where I will belong someday will continue to haunt me ..till then I will continue the celebrations........
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