On Second Thought
It is December, and as such, ‘tis the season for Top Ten Lists.
But first, a story.
When my kids were young I had some pretty firm Christmas traditions, the most important of which was decorating the Christmas tree. I would gather my two little angels (attendance was mandatory), their ornaments that were separated into personalized piles then put on some loud, fabulous Christmas music and make an afternoon of putting together our tree.
It was a big deal, to me anyway.
I decided when my children went to different parts of the country several years ago that I wouldn’t decorate our house for Christmas if we weren’t going to be home for Christmas. It has been a huge departure from who I am at my core - which is a total Christmas devotee - for the past four years.
Travel to Las Vegas this year is not advised so Bobby and I are spending the holidays at home which means one thing - I’m decorating for Christmas.
On Thanksgiving Day, my kids and I had a big holiday Zoom call, in which I suggested a future Zoom call in which I would remotely revive our old tradition of decorating the tree together, while of course listening to Christmas music.
Both kids said they would be busy that day, only I hadn’t yet given them a day. My daughter did mumble something about her eyeball and a white-hot poker, but I was distracted by something funny my grandson said and missed it.
Turns out I scarred them both with my choice of Christmas music, which I thought was exceptional, but I’ll let you be the judge.
(See last week’s column in reference to numerous and predictable failings as a parent)
‘Tis the season for my top 10 Christmas songs of all time:
1. The entire Charlie Brown Christmas Special soundtrack. My best friend Janice turned me onto this years ago, and it has been a solid add to my list, and takes me back to my childhood.
2. Mary Did you Know? by Kathy Mattea is seriously one of the prettiest Christmas songs I’ve ever heard and most likely the most serious on my list. It calms me down when I’m loaded up on the hot chocolate.
3. The entire Garth Brooks Christmas Album Beyond the Season circa 1992, but mostly the single, Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy.
Now do you have empathy for my kids?
4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen. I’ll fight you over this one.
5. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer by some rednecks named Elmo ‘n Patsy. An irreverent song about a Christmas tragedy that didn’t happen. Really, it didn’t happen.
6. Merry Christmas from the Family by our favorite redneck Robert Earl Keen. Plug grandma’s ears if you crank this one up. Everything in this song probably did happen.
7. Baby It’s Cold Outside by Dean Martin. I know there has been some controversy about this one, but I don’t care. It’s Dean Martin, for Santa’s sake.
8. Any Christmas song sung after inhaling helium, including and for the most part, Mariah Carey songs.
9. 12 days of Christmas, which everyone knows but it could still be used in a hostage brain-washing scenario, which my kids might tell you I was doing. I don’t have many classics on this list and felt this one would be good because it is a fairly conclusive list.
10. O Tannenbaum - who doesn’t love a Tannenbaum? Seriously, I only picked this one because it is the first time I’ve used that word in a sentence.
What is your favorite Christmas song? Send them to me at kcollins@iowaparkleader.com, along with the reason you love it. It might make it into a Christmas column.
