I know that there may be readers who celebrate other holidays at this time of year, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, even Saturnalia (we always suspected that this was the big one for our Latin teacher), but I was raised in the faith I have, so Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the big ones for me. While the youthful excitement may have faded, there is still a quiet satisfaction at the peace that comes over most of us at this time of the year.
Our family tradition was always to go to some relative's on Christmas Eve, then to stay at home Christmas morning and spend that as a family. That's how it was for me growing up, and it is, now that my mother's gone, no longer the case; now it's dinner on Christmas Eve, and that pretty much wraps it up. But it is still a time of internal quietude, a chance to catch the breath.
So I won't rile things up by talking today about the decline of newspapers, or the possibility that Obama will recreate our Iraq mistake in Afghanistan, or the obtuseness of commenters, or anything about the financial mess.
No, I will hope that each of you out there is spending time with loved ones, even if they aren't all with you. I will hope that you take the time to remember those who will never be with you. I will hope that you are feeling the spirit of sharing, even if there is less to share this year. I will hope that you are wrapped in love and laughter; if not, at least warmth and contentment.
And, now, I bid all of you great joy and good tidings, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Our family tradition was always to go to some relative's on Christmas Eve, then to stay at home Christmas morning and spend that as a family. That's how it was for me growing up, and it is, now that my mother's gone, no longer the case; now it's dinner on Christmas Eve, and that pretty much wraps it up. But it is still a time of internal quietude, a chance to catch the breath.
So I won't rile things up by talking today about the decline of newspapers, or the possibility that Obama will recreate our Iraq mistake in Afghanistan, or the obtuseness of commenters, or anything about the financial mess.
No, I will hope that each of you out there is spending time with loved ones, even if they aren't all with you. I will hope that you take the time to remember those who will never be with you. I will hope that you are feeling the spirit of sharing, even if there is less to share this year. I will hope that you are wrapped in love and laughter; if not, at least warmth and contentment.
And, now, I bid all of you great joy and good tidings, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
2 comments:
One post gives good tidings, the other takes them away! Now that's American.
I'm not precisely certain I get the "American" reference, but I sincerely hope that you're enjoying the holiday season. I suspect that you and I actually have more common ground than most might expect, and, of course, it is always possible that neither of us always expresses our thoughts and feelings as accurately or persuasively as we would like. Such is the medium, perhaps, valuing as it does the reactive over the contemplative.
Suffice it to say that I think that most people essentially have good hearts, and we are fortunate to be able to express our disagreements on specific matters. None of that detracts from my sincerity in hoping that peace be with you and yours at this and all times.
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