What Matters Most at Christmas?
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4342
In 1783, after eight years of war,
General George Washington wanted to be home for Christmas. He had been
with his small band of soldiers, experiencing the hardships and horrors
of the Revolutionary War, since his commission in 1775 as commander in
chief. In 1776 he spent Christmas crossing the Delaware amid ice floes
and bitter winds. In 1777 he spent Christmas searching surrounding farms
and towns for something—anything—to bolster his hungry, freezing, and
in many cases shoeless soldiers at Valley Forge. And so it had gone year
after year.
With victory secured in 1783, General
Washington headed for Mount Vernon, stopping along the way to greet
crowds and conduct a few final acts of official business. "Among
[these],” he wrote in a letter to a dear friend and fellow soldier,
"none afford me more pleasure than to acknowledge the assistance I have
received from those worthy men whom I have had the honor to command.”1
His last stop was in Annapolis, where before Congress he officially
resigned his commission.
He then pointed his horse home,
across the Potomac, through woods, up hills, and across the fields,
orchards, and meadows until he could see in the distance the windows of
Mount Vernon, candlelit in welcome. Two terms as the first President of
the United States were in his future. But that could wait. Tonight was
Christmas Eve, and his family was waiting for him.
Unfortunately, not everyone can be
home for Christmas. But even if our loved ones can be with us only in
spirit, Christmas is a time to cherish the warmth and affection of
family and friends. It’s a time to share with those we love our most
precious gift—our time. Whether it’s the joyful laugh of a favorite
uncle, the contented smiles of grandparents, the excitement of children,
the embrace of one who is home at last, or the traditional reading of
the story of the babe in the manger, Christmas is best celebrated with
people we love.
1 In Stanley Weintraub, General Washington’s Christmas Farewell: A Mount Vernon Homecoming, 1783 (2004), 129.
No comments:
Post a Comment