I LOVE A PARADE

We did a lot of waving yesterday at our city’s annual Christmas parade. We waved at people dressed as chandeliers, at grinches and mermaids. We waved at dance troops, at bagpipers, at wind lasses (those are women who sail the sea) We saluted old disabled veterans and young men and women of the new ROTC, We waved at those throwing candy and beads…we waved at those who made it snow. We waved to our friends who were in the parade…and so many people we didn’t know. When the parade was over all we had to do was turn around… and walk to the Olde Time Christmas celebration being held in our downtown. It was when we passed Santa surrounded by children…as Christmas music played…. I realized as we walked along it was our turn to parade. We paraded by the open shops, by our bookstore…by thousands of people celebrating. We stopped our parade for a moment to watch people in Florida…ice skating! We paraded by professional singers on a stage listening to their voices soar…. We paraded by a group of children singing…and I’m not sure which ones I enjoyed more. We paraded by children having their faces painted on our walk through paradise…. and as we paraded by the food stands we stopped for some crab cakes and yellow rice. We paraded to our golf cart and headed home…calling it a night…. and as we rode along the streets…a parade of Christmas lights. On my walk this morning I was thinking…what a great parade… and all the wonders we saw passing by… When I looked up at the crescent moon as the clouds paraded by. And I realized…when it comes to parades…I don’t have to wait for Christmas Day… as I travel through my daily life…I can enjoy parades every day. Parades of wonders…parades of strangers.. parades of family…and friends… How lucky to be a part…of a parade that never ends.