Happy Holidays!
The Waterworld Mermaids are busy drinking eggnog and decorating their magical lagoon with twinkly lights. They wish everyone a very safe and happy holidays and a glittery new year!
We look forward to returning on January 3rd!
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Just Show Up
It takes a brave man to swim in the mermaid pond but I think today’s guest is up to the task. Derek Dodson has a Master of Education in professional counseling, and was a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for a number of years working with at risk kids and families. He is an accomplished musician (guitar/bass), has a number of black belts in martial arts and is knowledgeable in Chinese, Okinawan and Japanese weapons. Derek has been a college athlete, a rodeo rider, fought as a semi pro kick boxer, and even worked as a bouncer in some really bad bars when he was working his way through grad school. This has probably come in very handy as Derek is also married with four—yes, you heard me right—FOUR beautiful daughters.
And did I mention he also writes romance?
Derek has published several “forgettable articles and lots of academic crap” in his areas of interest, as well as written music and poetry. He began writing fiction a wee bit more than a year ago and is taking that on like he does everything else—full steam ahead. Today he’s here talking about the long road to mastering any skill. Take it away Derek…
The past 30 or so years I have had two great loves in my life beyond family, martial arts and music. During these three decades, I somehow managed to complete a couple of college degrees, get married, raise 4 kids, and change careers three times. All through the demands of job, school and family, I found time for the two pursuits I love the most. Martial arts and music. Certainly there were breaks during times of illness, births, etc., but for the most part, I continued to show up.
Teaching has always been a favorite activity, and with the many years I’ve invested in my two hobbies, I am now viewed as a bit of an authority by some. I think maybe it is just because I am getting old. Over this span of time I can’t tell you how often I have heard people say they wished they could do martial arts or play guitar, but they don’t have the time, talent, money, etc. They often go on to opine about how gifted/talented/blessed/unique I am. BS.
In Geoff Colvin’s excellent book, Talent Is Overrated He lays out all the research done thus far around the topic of talent as it relates to things like business, science, music and other arts. What he so convincingly shows is there is NO evidence for what we call talent when it comes to these interests. What the research does show is those who are considered “talented” in their field are individuals who have a single-minded focus on their one activity to the exclusion of others.
One of the books Colvin cites is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell takes a close look at the habits of those who are highly successful in their field. He is most often quoted for coining the 10,000 hour rule. That is, mastery of most subjects require approximately 10,000 hours of focused practice.
As a novice writer, I am swimming in a sea of amazingly talented people for whom writing seems to flow as effortlessly as breathing. Since I have chosen romance, most of these uniquely gifted people are women. Being active in two local and two online RWA chapters, attending over a dozen online workshops, and reading several of the “must have” books on the topic, I have come to a conclusion. Writing is no different than anything else.
The reason I am surrounded by this chorus of amazingly talented writers is because you ladies put in the time and work your butts off. Jobs, kids, spouses, PTA, etc., all pull you in different directions. Still you find the time to write. The 10,000 hours is no guarantee of success, as there are other factors involved when it comes to publication. However, the self pub world has exposed us to wonderful writers and to those who haven’t reached the 10k mark yet.
Perhaps there is some hope for me as a writer, as I spent 500 words to basically say “just show up”. I would love to hear what others think.
Megan Hart Swims with the Mermaids
The moment I walked by the shelf and was stopped in my tracks by the beautiful, haunting cover for Megan Hart’s novel, Precious and Fragile Things, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. I was not leaving the store without that book. 
That was last year’s New Year’s gift. This year’s will be Megan’s upcoming January 1st release, All Fall Down. The thing I admire most about Megan and her writing is that she’s refreshing and honest and not afraid to go where the story needs to go—beginning, middle and end. Oh, and did I mention she’s a fellow Depeche Mode fan? Yep, she’s just sort of fabulous like that. Without further ado, let’s welcome Megan to the pond!
Getting a tattoo of your favorite band, or any tattoo for that matter—a yes or a no?
I’m all for tattoos, but I’d caution anyone thinking of permanently marking their bodies to make very, very, very, VERY sure that what they decide is something they can live with forever. 🙂
You strike me as a girl who may have a soft spot for the darker things. So…in Phantom of the Opera, would you have chosen the Phantom over Raoul? Why or why not?
Hmmm. I’ll admit, I’m only vaguely aware of the Phantom of the Opera’s plot points, so I can’t say for sure I’d pick the Phantom. I do have a soft spot for the darker things, no doubt on that. But I’m also practical. Not so sure I could stand living in the catacombs or sewers, or whatever…!
While writing Precious and Fragile Things, (I’m being careful not to put a spoiler in here.) did you ever 
consider things ending differently between Gilly and Todd?
No. There really was no other way for it to end.
Are the processes any different for you between writing your mainstream fiction and romance?
Not really. I approach them the same way, how am I going to tell this particular story. What is important about it. What do I need to include (or not!) to tell the story in the best way possible.
How do you feel about happy endings?
I think they’re great! But not always realistic or truthful. Or necessary, really. Not everything has to be tied up in a perfect package to be meaningful. Sometimes we learn more from things that end badly.
Do you have a favorite constellation?
I guess I’m partial to the Little Dipper since it’s the only one I can really ever pick out. But I always can.
What was the last book you read that you’d recommend?
I just finished Hourglass by Myra McEntire about an hour ago, and really enjoyed it. I re-read The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub just before that, and I would always recommend it.
What is your favorite Depeche Mode song and why?
That’s a tough one. I love so many of them. I really like World in My Eyes because it’s very sexy. The entire Violator album is. I guess you’d have to ask me if there’s a Depeche Mode song that is NOT my favorite, really. And I can’t say there is!
I love the warning on the back of your erotic novel, Passion Model. That being said, is there any topic you would feel uncomfortable writing about? If not, kudos to you!
I wouldn’t write about degradation. I like a little D/S in my fiction, but not of the “grovel at my feet you worm!” sort. I’m just not into humiliation. I think it would be a tough stretch to get me to incorporate any sort of super hardcore kinks or fetishes in my erotic writing, too. Beyond that, I don’t think I’d limit myself too much.
What can you tell us about your upcoming novel, All Fall Down, to be released January 1, 2012?
All Fall Down is the story of Sunshine and her three children, who are told to leave the commune where she was raised by
her mother just before the entire commune commits suicide at the request of its leader. Sunny ends up living with her biological father and his wife, who desperately wants children but discovers getting what you want can be worse than not.
***Megan, you’ve made many a mermaids’ day by stopping by our pond today! Thank you so very much! I absolutely cannot wait to pick up All Fall Down in ten days!!!! Happy Holidays!
Find out more about Megan and her fabulous fiction here.
Happy Solstice!
I love this day of the year. THIS, more than January 1st, is my New Year’s Day.
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, followed by the longest night. (Thus the Yule Log, to light the darkness and keep evil spirits away.)
But what this means ultimately is that after tonight, THE DAYS START GETTING LONGER.
Winter is so difficult. Many of us love the darkness (especially those of us who suffer from migraines), but it’s tough to fight those Circadian Rhythms that tell us to be tired when it starts getting dark outside. It feels like 10pm, but it’s only 6:30. You know what I’m talking about.
Then there’s SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and the general depression that the holidays bring to a lot of people…its a tough time of year, folks.
Today I would like you all to take a minute to yourself and light a candle. If you don’t have a candle handy (silly person), then sip a cup of tea/cocoa/coffee and close your eyes. Take a deep breath. And think about your inner light. What is it that makes you happy in this world? What makes you smile every time you see/hear/smell it? What memories keep you going? What inspires you? How do you inspire others?
We all have lights inside us that shine brighter than any Yule Log. What we have to remember — as I learned from growing up in the South — is to not “hide that light under a bushel.”
Take this day to remember how amazing you are. And, f you are so inclined, take a moment to remind someone in your life how amazing they are, as well.
Happy holidays, everyone!
xox
Princess Alethea Mermaid
Holiday Blues
I must confess: I’ve not been in the holiday spirit AT ALL this month. I’ve been the queen of not enjoying celebration. I dial the radio away from Christmas music. I proposed not having a tree at all this year. It all just seemed too much, too involved, too wearing to contemplate doing it again. And it will all have to be put away at New Year’s and that’s tiring too! Bah, hum-bug! I see other people having a wonderful time, dressing up, handing out presents, making merry, and I just feel sad.
Now, before you get all sad yourself and turn away… at this writing, the tree is up, the stockings are hung, the garland is twined, the wreaths are on the door. I’ve addressed half a dozen cards. I’ve done all my shopping, except for a gift for MyMerman. I even made a batch of Christmas cookies last night and was bad enough to eat them for breakfast this morning. If this isn’t Christmas spirit, it’s pretty dang close. All I need is some Christmas lingerie, some spiked hot chocolate, the Christmas giftie I know is under the tree (because I saw him tell the girl to wrap it) and MyMan back at home from the wilds of his weekly travels.
I wish I had more time to make a better post, but there are presents to wrap and get in the mail before the lingerie and hot chocolate can come out. But I’m also scratching my head and wondering how I managed to move from “cancel Christmas” to “how much can I get done by…?” and “oh wouldn’t it be fun if?”
So tell me, friends: How do you get yourself to move from the supreme pout to the willing embrace of a task that has you scared and running? Not just Christmas, but any job – like writing? How do you pin yourself down and do the work when you would really rather be out doing almost anything else?
(ps, I do not know this pouting child, she was a lucky find in a google search and I wish her the very happiest Christmas ever. All the other photos in her family’s flickr stream show her as a happy little girl. The photo was marked ‘public’ and I used it. Do we want a post on privacy here?)
Santa Baby . . . .
“Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me
I’ve been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight
Think of all the fun I’ve missed
Think of all the fellas that I haven’t kissed
Next year I could be oh so good
If you’d check off my Christmas list”
Okay, I don’t think I’ve been all that good (a girls gotta have some fun!) but I don’t think that my particular Santa will mind all that much . . .
Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been racing around figuring out what to get for other people and maybe neglected to think about what you might get from the man in the snazzy red suit.
For me, the ultimate gift would be this guy, Alex O’Loughlin, under the tree . . . but I think I need to be a much better girl next year! ; )
So, this is a list of a few things I would love to see – and might actually find – under the tree.
I’m a huge Vera Bradley bag fan and have carried nothing else for 20 years – yep, since I was two years old! Since I never know when the writing bug will strike, I carry my net book, Lil’ Red, with me everywhere. I think I would look really stylish with this bag to carry it and all of its accessories in . . .
I also want a massage. Not a quick head a shoulders massage in one of those tacky chairs at the mall. No sireeee . . . I want a one and one half hour massage on a table with piped in sperm whale mating call music recorded by Enya. I want the hot stone therapy as well . . .I want my husband to have to come and get me because I’m incapable of driving myself home.
And, if I’m aiming for the box seats, I want a multi-book, huge advance book deal with Nora Ephron begging to make the movies. And, of course, Alex O’Loughlin would want to star in them and I’d have to be on set everyday . . .
Okay, now that I’ve spilled the secrets only known by Mr. Claus . . . tell me what you whispered in his ear . . .
Robin
Book Review: Men Under the Mistletoe Anthology
Carina Press is offering great holiday anthologies this Christmas. A Clockwork
My new reading companion
Christmas is a collection of steampunk novellas that I am currently making my way through with yultetide delight! “Holiday Kisses” is a contemporary romance set of four stories that is sitting in my TBR pile. Lot’s of opportunities to curl up by my fire with hot chocolate, my new puppy, and a romantic Christmas tale.
Men Under the Mistletoe is a four novella collection of M/M romance by four, amazing voices in this genre: Josh Lanyon, K.A. Mitchell, Ava March, & Harper Fox. While the stories are shorter in length, they arre not short on drama, humor, sexy moments, and unforgettable characters. And the emotion . . . wow.
As I’ve studied the craft of writing and putting my own stories on paper, my criteria of what makes a great story for me. Sure, I want a happy ending, lots of yummy romantic sexy bits and an intriguing plot. But, what really gets me about these authors is their enviable ability to put the emotions into every word on the page and get me completely and totally invested in the outcome for the characters.
The theme woven throughout these four stories was one of the expectation and disappointment that can occur when two people are drawn together but not quite at the same place emotionally. Time gives all of our destined lovers the chance to grow individually and come together at the right time for a a chance to seize the love of their life – if they can be brave enough to take it.
My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March
The Blurb: Alexander Norton loathes the festive season. The revelry of the ton is a reminder of Christmas four years ago, when his first love, Thomas Bennett, broke his heart and fled to New York without a word. So when he encounters Thomas at a holiday ball, Alexander is determined not to let on how much he still hurts.
Thomas has returned for one reason only: Alexander. Having finally come to terms with his forbidden desires, he will do whatever he must to convince Alexander to give their love another chance. But instead of the happy, carefree man Thomas once knew, Alexander is now hard and cynical. Saddened to know he’s to blame for the man’s bitterness, Thomas resolves to reignite the passion he knows lies hidden behind the wall of disdain…
Set in the Regency period in London, England this story is full of young love, heartbreak, angst, sweet reunion. Both characters as full-bodied and completely relatable but at the beginning of the story. Alexander is so much in love that he tries to drag Thomas into that place with him but Thomas isn’t ready and breaks his heart. Now his own man, Thomas is back to get the chance he passed up three years earlier but Alexander is a cynical, cold man and nothing like the open, trusting boy he left behind.
I loved the heartbreak in this story. Both let it manifest in their fear and cruelty and had to navigate the wasteland of their broken hearts to find each other again.
Ava March handles the time period perfectly without weighing down her words with too much historical information. I’ve read several of her books and they are always a delightful read.
Winter Knights by Harper Fox
The blurb: Historian Gavin Lowden is in Northumberland on Christmas Eve for
two reasons: to find evidence of a romantic bond between Arthur and Lancelot and to finally tell his partner, Piers, that he loves him. Piers has promised to come clean with his conservative family and join Gavin for their first holiday as a couple, but at the last minute, he bails. Devastated, Gavin heads out onto the moors alone, just as snow begins to fall …
Gavin stumbles into an underground chamber, where strange happenings cause him to question what is real and what is fantasy. He’s found by two mysterious men, who offer him a bed for the night — and awaken him to nuances of erotic pleasure he didn’t know existed. Pleasure he hopes to be able to share with Piers.
When Piers learns that Gavin has gone missing, he is desperate to find him. He knows now breaking up was a terrible mistake, and he’s ready to take the next step in their relationship — if it’s not already too late.
If you want to write books and you haven’t read a book by Harper Fox – you need to. She is the master of wringing every ounce of emotion out of her characters but you never feel overwhelmed or melodramatic. Her characters are real, solid people who try to survive everything life throws at them with grace, dignity and the occasional bout of emotional breakdowns fortified by a few stiff drinks. (Hell – Just read her book, Life After Joe, and you will see what I mean.)
This story mixes questions of faith – spiritual, mystical, historical, and emotional. There were times in this story where I cried because I just couldn’t see how these two superficially opposite people could ever get together. The old Patty Smith/Done Henley song kept going through my head – “Sometimes love just ain’t enough”
Add into it the subplot of Arthur and Lancelot and you’ve got a story that will keep you turning the page.
Lone Star by Josh Lanyon
The Blurb: Growing up in rural Texas, Mitchell Evans’s ambition to be a dancer made him a target. Though he found success in New York City, Mitch is at a crossroads, and heads home for the first time in twelve years to figure things out. When what appears to be a reindeer jumps out in front of his car, he drives off the road and into the path of the one man he hoped to avoid.
The last person Texas Ranger Web Eisley expects to see four days before Christmas is his first love. He hasn’t seen Mitch since they quarreled over coming out to their friends and family years ago. Though he’s not in the closet now, Web has worked hard for the respect of his fellow officers, but he still regrets the loss of Mitch in his life. And his bed.
The attraction between them is as strong as ever, and it doesn’t take long for the men to pick up where they left off. But is love enough to keep Mitch in town in the New Year?
Oh Josh . . . how I love thee . . . let me count the ways.
Josh Lanyon is a master of the smoothest prose I have ever read. I’ve studied is books to try and figure out how he uses an economy of words that are always so pitch perfect.
This story of reunited lovers in Texas is chock full of everything I wanted in a Christmas tale: reindeer, an old ranch, a cast of secondary characters I want to have their own stories, and a protagonist who is a Texas Ranger – a freakin’ Texas Ranger!
Mitch had to get out of their small town in order to escape the rules preventing him from become his own person. Web stayed right where he was – quietly being his own man on his own terms. Two very different lives but they both recognize the gift of second chances and they might just have the strength to accept it this time around.
The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell
The Blurb: It’s Christmas in Epiphany, Pennsylvania—the busiest time of year 
for Mel Halner. But running the family Christmas tree farm has worn down his love for the happiest season of all, and lately Mel’s been wondering what if he’d said yes to a ticket out of town with millionaire Bryce Campion three years ago.
Bryce isn’t used to people saying no to him, and he can’t forget Mel or their brief but sizzling affair. He might not have been offering forever, but Bryce can’t understand a guy as sexy and smart as Mel choosing to stay rooted on the family farm over enjoying the high life with him. He’s determined to make Mel see what he’s missed out on the first chance he gets.
K.A. Mitchell always makes me laugh. Everything from a snicker to a full-on belly laugh was wrung out of me by this story. The humorous dialogue and witty repartee gives me perpetual line envy.
Mel is a funny guy stuck in a life that isn’t what he wants and not what he chose. Bryce is a guy who life is all of his own making and he knows what he wants – and that is Mel.
Watching Bryce woo Mel like an old-fashioned suitor was a toe curling, sigh-inducing adventure.
***
I give this one 5 out of 5 Mermaid flippers.
I heartily recommend this anthology for your bookshelf. This is one that I will pull up on my Kindle year after year.
Robin
Blurb:
Baby it’s Cold Outside
A man receives the gift of 
pleasure at the hands of two expert lovers. Boyhood sweethearts get a second chance at romance. Two very proper gentlemen indulge their forbidden desires. And a Christmas tree farmer has an epiphany. It may be cold outside but these four holiday novellas will warm you up.
Anthology includes:
My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March
Winter Knights by Harper Fox
Lone Star by Josh Lanyon
The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell
Why I Empathize with a Serial Killer
I recently started watching Dexter for the first time. You know, Dexter. That tv series about a serial killer? Not my usual cup of tea, but I have to admit, within minutes of watching the first episode of the first season, I was hooked.
Dexter is a bona fide serial killer. He gets overwhelming urges to murder and feels absolutely no remorse in taking a human life. In fact, he doesn’t feel any normal human emotions at all and spends most of his life pretending to be a good brother, caring boyfriend, friendly co-worker. (He works as a forensics expert on blood splatter. Cute, huh?) Here’s the twist: he was raised by an honorable cop who instilled in him a rigid moral code, so that Dexter only kills people who “deserve” to die — other murderers, rapists, etc.
Dexter is the ultimate anti-hero. He’s the star of the show, we root for him, and we want him to achieve his goals. And yet, he’s a serial killer. One who takes extreme pleasure in violently dismembering people. (Yes, I have to cover my eyes during the scenes with the whirling chain saw and the spraying blood.)
So how on earth did the writers accomplish this? How did they get me to empathize with a serial killer?
For answers, I turned to Michael Hauge’s recent workshop with the Washington Romance Writers. (For more information, please see his website: www.storymastery.com or his book, SELLING YOUR STORY IN 60 SECONDS). During the workshop, Mr. Hauge listed five key factors for creating empathy and claimed that the hero of every successful movie or novel has at least two of these five. Please note these factors must come into play when the character is introduced. A character arc where the hero eventually learns to be kind may enrich a story, but it does nothing to create empathy for the hero at the beginning of a movie or novel.
1. Make the hero sympathetic/ put him/her in an undeserved situation. In the first episode of this series, we see Dexter going through the motions as he pretends to have the requisite human emotions. He yearns to feel something — anything — and thinks if he goes through the motions often enough, the emotions he pretends to feel might actually become real. We don’t know at this point whether Dexter’s situation is deserved or not, but we certainly feel sorry for him. All of us, at one point or another, have felt like an outsider. We have all pretended to smile or laugh when we really felt like crying.
2. Put the hero in jeopardy. From the beginning of this series, Dexter walks a very fine line between detection and safety. He murders his victims — right under the noses of his coworkers in the police department. He interacts on a daily basis with the very people whose job it is to catch him. According to Mr. Hauge, we empathize with characters we worry about. Because of the very nature of Dexter’s job, we worry from the start that he might get caught.
3. Make the hero likeable/ show the hero to be well-liked by others. Although Dexter hides behind a mask, he is clearly well-liked by the other characters on the show – his sister, his girlfriend, his colleagues. In fact, an early scene in the first episode shows Dexter bringing donuts to the office, while everyone slaps him on the back and tells him what a great guy he is. Moreover, in a poignant moment in the first episode, Dexter says, if I could love anyone, it would be my sister Deb. His words imply that he does not love even his sister, but his actions speak louder than words. He may say he is just pretending, but his actions indicate that he is a caring brother to Deb and a thoughtful boyfriend to Rita. As viewers, we suspect that even though Dexter can’t acknowledge it, he truly cares about these people.
4. Make the hero funny. Dexter himself isn’t funny, but the situations in which he is portrayed are certainly amusing. For example, while his colleagues are disgusted by the blood splatter at a crime scene, Dexter whistles cheerfully as he takes pictures of the murder victim. In another example, after Dexter shows thoughtfulness to his girlfriend, Rita throws her arms around his neck and exclaims something like, “How did I find the last decent man on this world?”
5. Make the hero powerful/good at what he/she does. Mr. Hauge told us that viewers and readers like to root for characters who can “get the job done.” Dexter is extremely good at what he does. His colleagues are in awe of his deep knowledge and instinct concerning blood splatter, and he is a very competent and efficient serial killer. What’s not to like?
So there you have it! Five reasons why I empathize with a serial killer, according to Michael Hauge’s factors.
What about you? Do you like watching Dexter? Who is your favorite anti-hero? Why?
What Do You Do To Get Through The Holiday Season?
The season starts the first Thursday of December with our family Holiday Kick-off of Swiss Colony meats/cheeses and goodies along with a Muppet’s Christmas Carol. From then on–I fly by the seat of my pants and hold on tight–sweating until I know I have all my shopping done, the accounts balanced and everything baked and delivered. Then I take a breath and enjoy.
For most of us the holiday season is filled with parties and planning, shopping and baking like we’re Pros, while still trying to juggle our normal routines of working, writing and family obligations.
So how do we cope at this wonderfully hectic time? I try to take a few minutes each day (when I find myself alone) to sit with a cup of tea and just stare into space at the lit Christmas tree. But that only suffices for a few minutes.
Each year I try to plan days for certain things to be done–a baking day, shopping day or days, and one to wrap the gifts. It’s helpful and I’m heck at making lists (thank God for whomever invented the yellow legal note pads). My husband knows I have a system and method to my madness and tries to stay out of my way. 🙂
So what do you do to help you along? I could always use some great ideas!
Give Me Some Cheesy Christmas Songs, Please!
I love Christmas music. There. I admit it.
As soon as the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is tucked away in the fridge, it’s nonstop Christmas music for me. Some might say it’s tacky or overly sentimental or just plain cheesy, but I can’t help myself.
Then I wondered why. I realized that it’s the writer in me that loves the Christmas music, and the songs I love best contain a story—whether it’s funny or sad or sweet, it’s the story that gets me every time.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas, written in 1943, tells the story of a World War II soldier writing to his family. Although it was written during a time when many of us hadn’t even been born, we can all relate. Many have different reasons for not being able to spend the holidays with the ones they love. Maybe they were deployed. Or they can’t afford a plane ticket or haven’t accrued vacation leave. Maybe divorces and custody issues play a part. No matter the reason, we can all relate. And if you listen to the lyrics and can keep a dry eye when Bing Crosby croons at the end, “I’ll be home for Christmas…if only in my dreams,” then you’re heartless.
On the flip side of the sentimental song, I also love Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. It, too, tells a story. And it throws a few good lessons in there for good measure. Don’t overindulge in eggnog. Don’t forget your medication. And, for God’s sake, don’t wander out into the snow, especially when Santa is recklessly driving a sleigh. It also presents the listener with a question. What would you do with Grandma’s gifts? Open them or send them back?
The song that grates on my nerves is The Christmas Shoes. That one gets me—but not in a good way. It’s so overly sentimental and designed to pull at my heartstrings. When I know that’s what’s being done, I resist at all costs. I. Will. Not. Be. Moved! The boy in line buying shoes for his dying mommy doesn’t do a thing for me, story or no story. I’m not so sure Jesus will be all that impressed with her new shoes. There. I’m going straight to hell in a handbasket. During the Christmas Season no less.
I remember sitting at a church puppet show when I was in second grade and watched the performance of Mommy kissing Santa Claus. I was absolutely appalled. Appalled! I looked around at the adults chuckling, and I remember distinctly feeling like they were all messed up. Why would it have been funny if Daddy had seen Mommy kissing Santa? Isn’t it still cheating even if it’s with Father Christmas? I asked my mom about it in the car on the way home, and she looked troubled, too. She never did answer my question. But, again, the story is what got me.
I love the sentimental songs. One of my favorites (and my mom’s) is Merry Christmas, Darling by the Carpenters. When Karen Carpenter sings in that sweetly melancholy voice about “being apart, that’s true” but “on this Christmas Eve, I wish I were with you…” Oh. That’s so heartbreaking. They could be apart for any reason, and it always gets me. He could have died. He could be deployed right now. He could have moved on to a different relationship, and she could be a psychotic stalker, but the words are so beautifully sung that none of that matters. The story remains for you to fill in between the lines. It can be your story. Or your sister’s. Or the crazy lady next door. But, it’s someone’s.
My two favorite songs of the season are relatively new. Believe by Josh Groban goes hand-in-hand with one of my favorite movies—Polar Express. It’s a movie about growing up, of letting magic slip away and giving up dreams. But, there’s a positive side. You can find the magic again. I love the lines: “Believe in what you feel inside, and give your dreams the wings to fly. You have everything you need…if you just believe.”
And my favorite Christmas song of all time? Drum roll, please… My Grown-Up Christmas List. Holy Cow. I can’t keep a dry eye. Seriously. I get chills and my heart feels like the Grinch’s—growing three times the normal size during that one song. My favorite version is Kelly Clarkson’s, when she sings about writing to Santa with childhood fantasies but now, as a grown up, her wish list is different. She wants “not for myself but for a world in need.” To me, it’s the epitome of the season. Moving from selfish requests—wrapped presents—to righting the wrongs of the world.
So, what are your favorite songs, and why? That’s the important part. I don’t want to hear that the 1984 version of Do They Know it’s Christmas? is the best. I want to know why. Because it’s chock-full of super star musicians or because it tells of the famine to hit Ethiopa in that year and our power to help those suffering?
When you decide your favorite, maybe you’ll realize that often it’s the story behind the tune that touches your heart. And what better time to have music touch your heart than Christmas? So, give it up! What’s your favorite Christmas song and why?
I wish you a Merry Christmas… I wish you a Merry Christmas…I wish you a Merry Christmas… and a Happy New Year!