THE SENTIMENTALITY CHALLENGE. My friend Bruce Abel sent me a link to the Pearl Buck story, Christmas Day in the Morning, which has become a Christmas ritual for us. I posted here about how our new ritual is that I read the story aloud before we open presents on Christmas, and everybody watches to see how far I get before I tear up.
Report on 2014: There were some brief interruptions, which made it easier, but Annalisa said that I teared up or ‘broke down” 8 separate times.
We talked about how the book creates its effect on me. Annalisa thinks the word “father” triggers a response. I suggested the verb tenses might be a trigger.