If the poem in '83 was highly topical, this one is as well but only in one sense; it was probably written only four weeks after I became a married man. And I was Content with a capital "C"; that reads loud and clear in every verse.
There's one odd thing I ponder now as I recall the reality of that time. I am all over "friends and family" in this work but in truth, there wasn't much in the way of family on my side at all. Both my wife and I were part of divorced families and when we looked at the roster of people attending our wedding, it was overwhelmingly friends. My family in attendance consisted of no more than six people as when I did not invite my father, his entire side refused to attend. At that point I "divorced" them as well and to this day, that has never healed even though I subsequently mended things with my dad years later.
Thus you can see that the author is attempting to heal the wound and build something anew. Even more odd, it would not include any children as I never had a desire to have them from the time I was a young child. At one point several years before this, I cinched my decision with a procedure just to make certain.
All of this, examined today, makes for a psycho-spiritual smorgasbord, don't you think? I see it that way and I was "intimately involved" with the story. All of this makes me ever more appreciative that I never dropped the ball regarding this yearly undertaking even if it was difficult to write during several years.
Christmas 1984
by
Richard Perrotti
When the holiday season approaches,
We all have just so much to do.
The pace steps up, our lists all lengthen,
As we always struggle to get through.
But finally we get to enjoy it;
Settle back, relax and unwind.
We wonder why we always go through this.
The answer appears in due time.
You stop and you think of your family,
The one or more treasured so dear.
Whatever the hassle, it’s a labor of love
Gladly accepted year after year.
Then you smile and recall the happiness
And support that all your friends bring.
The holidays become a celebration to share,
Joyous memories added on to the string.
For if one’s love is the perfect present,
A precious gift shared only by two,
Then the love of good friends is the wrapping
That keeps the gift shiny and new.
I relax with a glass by the fire,
In the Christmas tree’s holiday glow,
And think of the love that surrounds me
…and pray it continues to grow.
TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY…
MAY IT CONTINUE TO FLOURISH AND GROWN IN 1985
A December 1984 smorgasbord:
1st - 50th Heisman Trophy Award: Doug Flutie, Boston College (QB)
1st - France performs nuclear test
1st - Greg Page KOs Gerrie Coetzee in 8 for WBA heavyweight boxing title
2nd - 4th meeting of Giants-Jets, Giants even series at 2 with 20-10 win
2nd - Bob Holland takes 9-83 for NSW against South Australia, SCG
2nd - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
3rd - 2,000 die from Union Carbide poison gas emission in Bhopal, India
3rd - Oldest groom - Harry Stevens, 103, weds Thelma Lucas, 83, in Wisc
4th - Hijackers commandeered a Kuwaiti airliner
4th - Hezbollah militants hijack a Kuwait Airlines plane, killing four passengers.
5th - A's trade Rickey Henderson to Yankees for Jay Howell & Jose Rijo
5th - French colonies killed 10 Kanaken in New Caledonia
5th - Yankees trade catcher Rick Cerone to Braves for pitcher Brian Fisher
6th - France performs nuclear test
6th - Hijackers aboard Kuwaiti jetliner kill 2nd hostage
7th - Allan Border's 1st Test Cricket match as captain (v WI Adelaide)
8th - 73rd Australian Men Tennis: Mats Wilander beats K Curren (67 64 76 62)
8th - Europe & 64 developing countries sign Lome III treaty
8th - Ringo appears on Saturday Night Live
9th - 59th Australian Womens Tennis: Chris Evert beats H Sukova (67 61 63)
9th - 6 day hijack of Kuwaiti jet ends
9th - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
9th - Iranian commandos end capture of Kuwaiti plane
9th - LA Ram Eric Dickerson rushes 215 yards for season record 2,003 yards
9th - Vicki Alvarez/Mike McDonald wins LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic
10th - 1st "planet" outside our solar system discovered
10th - South African Bishop Desmond Tutu received his Nobel Peace Prize
10th - WNSY-AM in Newport News VA returns from WGH
11th - "Doug Henning & His World..." opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 60 perf
11th - Mauretania military coup under Col Maawiya Ould Sid'ahmed Taya
13th - Artificial heart recipient William Schroeder suffers 1st stroke
14th - Sportscaster Howard Cosell retires from Monday Night Football
15th - USSR launches Vega 1 for rendezvous with Halley's Comet
17th - NJ Devils 1st penalty shot-Rocky Trottier scores against Edmonton
17th - NJ Devils 1st shutout, Glenn Resch makes 42 saves beat Minn, 2-0
18th - 73rd Davis Cup: Sweden beats USA in Gothenburg (4-1)
19th - China PR Premier Zhao Ziyang & Margaret Thatcher sign Hong Kong Treaty
19th - China PR performs nuclear test at Lop Nor PRC
19th - Fire at Wilberg Mine in central Utah killed 27 people
19th - Scotty Bowman becomes NHL's all time winningest coach
19th - UK signs agreement with China to return Hong Kong to China in 1997
19th - Wayne Gretzky, 23, is 18th & youngest NHL-er to score 1,000 points
20th - 33 unknown Bach keyboard works found in Yale library
20th - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
21st - Islander Kelly Hrudy's 1st shut-out win-Whalers 1-0
21st - USSR launches Vega 2 for fly-by of Halley's Come
22nd - Bernhard Goetz shoots 4 black muggers on NYC subway train
22nd - Madonna's "Like a Virgin," single goes #1 for 6 weeks
22nd - Test Cricket debut of Craig McDermott, v WI at the MCG
23rd - Viv Richards scores 208 in Test Cricket at MCG
24th - Palace coup in Mauritania
25th - NBA's Bernard King scores 60 points
26th - Belgian princess Astrid marries arch duke Otto L van Austrian-Este
27th - Padres' free agent pitcher Ed Whitson signs with NY Yankees
28th - Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old
28th - Rajiv Gandhi's Congress party wins election in India
28th - TV soap "Edge of Night" ends 28 year run
28th - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
29th - 5th United Negro College Fund
29th - Blues took 27 shots against Islanders in 1 period
29th - Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi claims victory in parlimetary elections
30th - Miss Elizabeth (Hulette) & Macho Man Randy Savage (Poffo) wed
31st - Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car crash
31st - NYC subway gunman Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in NH
31st - Rajiv Gandhi takes office as India's 6th PM succeeds his mom, Indira
31st - Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, v England at Calcutta
31st - US leaves UNESCO
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