Creating new traditions

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Beloved in the Desert members are four young adults who have committed to live together in intentional community, serve in local non-profits, and to pray with the communities of Saint Philip’s and our partners. As of this month they have reached the midpoint of their year of living, serving, and praying among us.

This week’s story by Samantha Christopher is the third in a four-part series from the perspective of the Beloved members.

Growing up in a blended family marked by multiple divorces, the Hallmark version of Christmas morning was never a reality for me. Waking up early and running down the stairs was not the behavior of an eager child expectantly looking forward to opening gifts, but rather a necessity to cram all of Christmas morning in before 10:00am, when my five-day visitation with my father would begin. Year after year, this court-mandated ritual played out in my household, shaping Christmas after Christmas with its forced routine.

After I went off to college, I would frequently work at my college job on Christmas morning, lured by time-and-a-half and better than normal tips that would let me treat myself to the next semester’s books. For me, Christmas Eve was the time to celebrate. Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College in the morning, watching a movie and eating fancy cheese in the afternoon, and Midnight Mass quickly formed the rhythm of my new traditions.

In this year of physical distancing and isolation, families find their Christmas mornings marred by the specter of disease and death, choosing to stay home and form new traditions rather than travel home and risk the worst. The Beloveds who decided to stay in Tucson for this holiday season took the opportunity to share in each other’s traditions. From listening to Lessons and Carols from King’s while snacking on a cheese tray, to watching truly horrible Christmas movies while eating a tasty vegetarian lasagna made by Mo, we were able to re-create our treasured traditions, celebrate the coming of God as a baby, and support each other in this difficult time.