2019: Last Christmas

In December of 2020, I wrote extensively about Dad’s absence around the holidays which now have the taint of melancholy to which I coined the phrase, “Sadiversary.” And it’s true, I ran the emotional gamut that year, and it was exhausting.

But I wanted to talk about Christmas 2019, arguably the last “normal” Christmas the Daniels, Twin Pines Ranch and CDB Families had.

It wasn’t unlike Christmas Eve 2025, quite a bit warmer than expected. We’ve been in the upper 60s, and I think it was just slightly cooler in 2019.

As was our tradition, we went to World Outreach Church for one of their three Christmas Eve services before we came back to Twin Pines for our annual Christmas Eve celebration at Mom and Dad’s house.

Church was as uplifting as always, they had animals that would have been present in a stable in 1^st Century Israel, including a camel on the campus.

We headed home to Twin Pines where friends, and extended family would settle in for an evening of fellowship and good food. As I drove to the top of the hill where their house is, I immediately was in awe of what still ranks as the most beautiful sunset I have ever witnessed. The horizon looked as if it was being consumed by hot lava with some of the brightest colors in God’s endless color pallet.

Just to be clear, we had seen plenty of beautiful sunsets on the hill, but this one was special, it was otherworldly and unforgettable.

Our guests eventually joined us for finger foods, fellowship and stories. Ever since he wrote it back in 1984, I insisted on him reading “A Carolina Christmas Carol,” in addition to the Christmas Story from Luke 2.

That was the last time he would perform that service for us in person.

After that, he would have everyone in attendance say a few words. It can be as simple as “Merry Christmas,” or if some tremendous event had happened in their lives, both good or bad, if you felt lost and needed prayer.

And I left out one more staple of the festivities. Dad’s guitar roadie, Roger Campbell would favor us with a cowboy poem, sometimes they were humorous sometimes they were powerful and inspiring, especially the Red Stegall poem about what it meant to “Ride for the Brand.”

In cowboy terminology, it means you are loyal to the brand and always representing in a positive way, and taking pride in brand that you have hitched your wagon to.

Everyone left, some returned the next day for Christmas and then Mom and Dad would soon leave for Colorado, recharge the batteries and get ready to hit the road again in February or March.

Instead, Dad did three shows before Covid changed everything, one private and two public performances, then the world shut down.

The pain of losing Dad in July and the changes in the holidays for 2020 and beyond.

Due to the threat of Covid, we had a total of five people on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In a time when we craved normalcy, we couldn’t even try to at least have the same type of celebrations we had while he was still with us.

Things changed in 2021, we had a big gathering again, not as big as before, but big enough. Since Dad wasn’t there to read his story and the Christmas story from Luke, it should have fallen to me, but I wasn’t ready. Instead, I let Dad do the honors himself by playing recordings of him reading both stories. It was emotional, but it was a good way to pass the torch. The following year, I picked up the mantle and have done my best to honor him in my readings, and to try to break down the heart of the Christmas story for those who are still seeking answers.

That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

It was a smaller gathering this year, the now seemingly eternal Covid and the flu kept people away, but the heart of the celebration was still there.

Merry Christmas from the Daniels Family, Twin Pines Ranch, The CDB, Blue Hat Records and The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project.

 God bless us, everyone!

What do you think?

Let’s all make the day count!

Pray for our troops, our police, the Peace of Jerusalem and our nation.

God Bless America!

#SonyReleaseHonkyTonkAve

#BenghaziAintGoingAway #End22

- Charlie Daniels, Jr.

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