Christmas Letter 2019: Simplicity
A Simple Story
a man a woman a child a star a stable
A Simple Life
a marriage a mortgage a child two children three children
Keep It Simple
a dog a front door a forlorn train hoot in the night a gate that clicks
A Simple Breakfast
a bowl of cereal a scrambled egg a cup of coffee
Keep It Simple
But it’s not simple. Three medications of various doses girlfriend drama boyfriend drama dentist appointments that can only be made in the late afternoon and coupons with expiration dates and what’s the insurance number again for this form I know I have filled out every year the exact same way for the past eight years.
A Simple Job
teach the book grade the papers read twice write three times
A Simple Business
an idea a saw a plane measure twice cut once
Keep it Simple
But it’s not simple. Take this inaccurate 2D sketch and transpose it via super-duper computer program into a 3D configuration and then send it to the crotchety CNC machine which makes parts that interlock at impossible tolerances and make it beautiful and make it cheap please.
A Simple Friendship
a cup of coffee a long beach walk a kind text with a silly emoji
Keep It Simple
But it’s not simple. To coordinate a moment to talk between working mamas you have to schedule it for a Tuesday between 7:15 and 8:05pm but you don’t get to the meaningful stuff until 7:53 and you barely made the phone call at all because of the gas light in the car which is trouble because it’s glitchy and you don’t know if you’re really out of gas or if it’s just messing with you.
A Simple Saturday Morning
a sunrise a cup of coffee a long-pause view out the kitchen window
A Simple Sanctuary
a kitchen table a warm stew a cup of tea a gate that clicks
A Simple Choice
him me us and then them: 1 - 2 – 3
Keep It Simple
But it’s not simple. Car insurance on four cars with two teenage drivers plus now I really should get disability insurance in case anything were to happen and why isn’t the life insurance payment going through and do we have enough in our Roth IRAs to make sure we don’t end up in a poorhouse when all is said and done and omg I have to file the FAFSA every year are you kidding me.
A Simple Holiday
a tree a wreath a wrapped gift a plate of cookies
A Simple Story
a child a star a stable a shepherd a king
A King? Seriously, not simple.
A child king who was sent from God as His son to become man incarnate (but – j/k - not at all a literal king) in order to die in devastating brutality only to rise from the dead (!) and thereby save mankind from original sin. Um, no, not simple at all.
A Simple Friday Night
a couch a blanket a bowl of popcorn a Netflix show
Keep It Simple
But it’s not simple. Nodding off, waiting for the front gate click that lets us know you’re home safe thankGod thankGod thankGod you’re home safe and you don’t even realize that the odds were stacked against you but we had to let you go out in the treacherous world anyway (despite every parental tenuous fiber in our fragile being) and you don’t even realize that your safe arrival home in the dead of night is simply . . . a miracle.
A Simple Miracle
a child a star a stable a king
a song a joy a life a marriage
a child a dog a house a gate that clicks
a blanket a tree a wreath a plate of cookies
a story a faith a hope a love
A Love like you’ve never known before and thankGod thankGod thankGod
It’s that simple.
This Christmas, we wish you simple miracles.
That is all.
Merry Christmas 2019 from the McKeagneys
