Lolita's churchTaking a risk could pay off beyond your dreams now, so be bold and daring in the expression of what's in your heart. Don't let fear get in the way of what matters most.I got weary of the whole Christmas fiasco years ago: the stores, the pressure, the endless Santas and elves and snow and themes that seem just tawdry symbols of the holiday. What it got down to was the music. And we're not talking about "Jingle Bells," "White Christmas" or "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer." It's not Christmas for me until I've heard "The Messiah" at least once. My ideal Christmas would be spent caroling with friends who enjoy it as much as I do, and now the opportunity has been presented like the ultimate surprise gift.
My Spanish teacher/singing coach Lolita asked me today to sing with her choir at Christmas! This means learning to sing in Spanish all those sacred carols I've known since I was a kid. Instead of memorizing the songs, I get to use song sheets, gracias a Dios! The trick is going to be stringing those Spanish words together properly, without getting tongue-tied. But that's no small thing: my inner critic is asking who the heck I think I am trying to participate in a Mexican choir after six weekly rehearsals.
This is such a small choir, we will be rehearsing in Lolita's living room on Wednesday evenings. We sing Christmas Eve for late mass and Christmas Day in the afternoon, in the beautiful church a block away from Lolita's house. I'm not Catholic and my Spanish isn't good enough to understand the entire litany, but Lolita took me to mass before the posada last year and it was the highlight of my holiday. I understand more Spanish this year, so it should be even better.
So if anybody wants Spanish versions of their favorite carols, chances are I can supply it. We're doing all the standards, and learning them in another language makes them surprisingly fresh for me.
Talk about your Spanish immersion experience!