Advent: Remember

There’s an old and familiar practice of remembering the past.

Our calendars are rounded out with reminders: holidays like Thanksgiving, the Foirth of July, and 9-11; wedding anniversaries, birthdays and adoption days; tokens from special trips, first dates.

Looking back is a guide to the future. The friend who listened as you broke down one September evening is a friend who will stand by you always. The friend who always stood you up on lunch plans is as trustworthy as a wet turd.

Advent is about remembering ahead. It’s about counting down to a promise not yet delivered, based on memories of what was promised before, and whether those promises were kept.