I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift."

-Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines

Thursday, December 23, 2010

"sing number 15!"

Tonight I went christmas caroling with a smallish group of people from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We sang to lovely people in a retirement home in Indianapolis and it was a blast! The many songs consisted of Silent Night, we wish you a merry christmas, rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (the playful echoing was encouraged here) and many others. My favorite part was seeing the pure joy shine through on the faces of the people we sang for. Their gratitude was so sincere and heart-warming. A close second to this touching experience was listening to the younger kids beg after every song for 'number 15!!!!!!', which was the 12 days of christmas. They ALL wanted to sing that one especially, so finally we did. It was worth it and was filled with lots of laughter between verses.


Some of my favorite people caroled with me- 
Whitney, Greg, Dylan, Kristina, and Paige


After caroling we went to Don Pablos for dinner. It was there that I got to know 9-year-old Anthony a little better. Anthony was full of laughter and was so much fun to be around. He was a total goof-ball and had all of us smiling the entire meal. During caroling, he was an expert at ringing bells to the songs. During dinner, he created some tortilla artwork. . . 


This night was filled with joyful moments. Anthony spread joy through his goofiness and the elderly at the retirement home spread joy through their thankfulness. It really feels like Christmas now.

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