Merry Christmas! If you found your way here, check out my past Christmas poems and enjoy our family card and update below! (If you’d rather print and read it the old fashioned way, download it here.)

You can also check out our annual correspondence from our long-term elfin penpal Siberius Quill on his website, which I help manage.

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January 13, 2025

First Monday in Ordinary Time

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! – Job 1:21

This past year has been bittersweet. As most of you know by now, we lost my dad last January–in fact, we are just two weeks out from the one-year anniversary of his passing. That may help to explain the lump in my throat and ache in my chest all through Advent and Christmas. 

We celebrated his life in July, in a narrow 36-hour window after Brendan and Becky and the boys returned from living abroad in Rome and before Gabe moved to Newark, New Jersey, and entered the novitiate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs), taking the gray habit and a new name, Brother Jude Apostoli. Prior to July, Gabe was a plain-clothed postulant in Harlem, and we talked with him regularly. During the novitiate, we hear from him only on Christmas, Easter, and our three birthdays (his, Jodi’s and mine). Since his and Jodi’s are back to back, they let him call on our anniversary instead. 

Scores of friends and relatives came to my parents place for the memorial, to share memories of Dad and enjoy a meal together. Aside from a medical emergency for one of my uncles, it was an entirely blessed day (and he came through it alright, as well, praise God).

This fall, our third grandchild and first granddaughter was born: Laverna Jean (Vern) joins Augie and Chuck among the Bismarck Thorps. Brendan is teaching full-time at the University of Mary, and Becky has started a daycare business that enables her to stay home with their three children. Emma continues her role as University Ministry Coordinator and has picked up a “plus-one”: a UMary student and former seminarian named Isaac. He’s from a small town in South Dakota, which raises him considerably in Jodi’s eyes, but he also has the misfortune of being the first young man a daughter of mine has dated. My guard was up to be sure–but he seems like a good guy.

Trevor began year three at the minor seminary, and seems more at home all the time. Lily started seventh grade at our parish school and joined cross country, then basketball this year. It is wonderful to see them each growing and pushing themselves in new ways.

Jodi and I are growing, too. My bride continues in her human resources role with Jabil, and still manages to hold the family together before and after hours–but in the past year, in particular, she is learning how to mother grown children who no longer seem to need her in the ways they used to. (Even Lily, who is officially a teenager now, is more independent and less likely to lean on Mom for help or comfort.) 

As for me, this fall I finally hit my stride with my contract communications work, picking up and completing new projects without dropping the ball on the old ones. It occurred to me that I moved into this role in December of 2019, just before the pandemic shutdown. We had already begun to notice things were changing with Dad, and between his health and the strain and uncertainty  of COVID, I’ve been struggling to keep my head above water ever since. Finally, I feel like I’m working at full strength again–and also that I’m too busy and can never get enough done on the home front.

“Jesus, I surrender it all to you; take care of everything.”

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That brings us to the Holiday Season. We were blessed to have my mom with us for Thanksgiving–she flew to Minneapolis, then rode with Jodi, Trevor, Lily, and me to see the Bismarck Thorps and stay with Brendan and Becky. The long weekend was bustling and loud, but blessed; Great-Busia soaked up the love of her grands and great-grands, and returned home to Michigan with a heart full of warm memories. 

Despite high hopes for Advent, the “season of waiting” passed in a flurry of home and work projects, decorating, purchases, and prep. But Christmas!–Christmas was beautiful! Trevor and Emma were home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; we feasted, opened presents, watched movies, and enjoyed talking to Brother Jude about Christmas at the friary. Isaac stayed with us before and after the holiday, but spent Christmas itself with his family in South Dakota, and Brendan and Becky went first to her parents’ home in Detroit Lakes before spending a few days either side of New Year’s with us. Everyone but Brother Jude was home on Sunday, December 29, so we had an extended family Christmas and “Secret Santa” that day, along with food, drinks, games, and conversation.

It was wonderful to see how thoughtful people were: Lily bought personal presents for each of her siblings and Isaac; Becky gave Jodi a card and pendant that spoke directly to her mother’s heart at a time when she needed it–and Trevor, the seminarian, surprised his sister-in-law with a beautiful sweater he researched and selected himself as her Secret Santa! 

It was wonderful to hear the conversations and laughter. It was wonderful to witness Isaac keeping pace with Emma in terms of sarcasm, and Emma taking it (because, I think, she kind of likes this guy).

It was wonderful.

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It’s been a bittersweet year, but tending toward sweet, and our losses are nowhere near Job’s. The Lord warns against love  of this world and this life, but we are so abundantly blessed that I do love it. I want to love these people God has entrusted to me and to live in such a way that I might deserve even a fraction of what He has given us.

Hopefully, the roots of holiness and heaven are buried in there somewhere.

Wishing you the happiest of Christmases and a blessed new year. Know that our hopes and prayers are with you even when we, ourselves, are not. We love you.

Jim and Jodi Thorp and Family