Our first Christmas in this city, we drove around looking for Christmas lights. Its a tradition started by my parents when I was a child. I noticed right away, that the area we lived in, didn't decorate too much. It disappointed me greatly. We drove around and around until we wound up downtown. Driving down the main street, I saw the window shops decorated for the season. We decided to take a little walk and look in all the windows.
Walking down Caroline street, is now a tradition in my family. Every Christmas we will take our walk, and admire the dimly lit windows. Walking through the chilly air, seeing the shops all decorated makes me feel closer to my dad. He always had stories of walking around downtown Dearborn, Mi with the shops all decorated for Christmas. Or walking down Woodward Ave, in Detroit. It takes me to a time when that city was great, and shined for the world to see. It makes me picture my dad as a child, and then as a teenager walking past the windows. I hope one day he will make it out here during this holiday season to share this experience with us.
Anyway, this year we walked all 6 of us down the street. The wind was chilly and whipped the leaves across the ground. All was quiet, and most of the shops and restaurants were closed for the night. In the distance we heard music playing. A lone violinist. He played the most beautiful melodies that carried across the wind. Song after song, he drew me in. I finally started to walk away and he began to play "somewhere over the rainbow" My sister and I both stopped turned around and stared. This is a song our grandma used to sing, many many years ago. It always amazes me how quickly memories can come back to you, from a song, or a scent, or any other strange way. A quick tear in my eye, then we took off again.
The windows were beautifully decorated, be it a salon, or antique shop, or local restaurant. The girls had fun rushing along from window to window, trying to guess the riddles the city put up.
I love looking in all the windows. It makes me feel like a little girl again. It makes me think of a simpler time. It makes me long for a history, I never knew. I hope you all can find something that makes you this happy and filled with peace, during this Christmas season.
