There is something magical about this time of year as it delivers the gift of hope. Everything just seems different. If only we could capture these magical moments in a bottle, how extraordinary our lives would become. It’s the most welcoming time of year with music, meals, and let’s not forget the wishes. Perhaps it’s the shimmer, the sparkle, and the festive colors. Maybe it’s the generosity, the hospitality, and the gatherings. However, it’s much more than we think.
ANTICIPATION
We are on a cusp of two years, drawing to the end of one as the new year approaches. That phase between what was and what can be. For some of us, it could be winding down after a hectic year with anticipation of what lies ahead. For others, it could mean a time of solace. A time when we reflect on what we did or didn’t do, what we dreamed, and even what we discovered about those around us, or what we discovered about ourselves.
Some of us go out of our way to glitz up our homes and others like simplicity with minimal decoration. Some of us spend extra time with loved ones and others who have family and friends that are distant. It doesn’t matter if it’s you surrounded by a lot of people or you by yourself. What matters is your perspective. We don’t always have to practice the same tradition; maybe it’s time to create a new one. A tradition whereby we reflect not only on what we see but perhaps what we don’t see that only hope can deliver.
We tend to get caught up in the baking, cleaning, and shopping frenzy that we forget what it’s all about. We lose track of what this time truly means. Take comfort in knowing that maybe once a year we can experience something out of the ordinary by becoming unlike everyone else. By looking at everything we do have and in gratitude accepting people, places, and things just as they are. Forgiving and forgetting the unfairness, inequity, and discrimination. To step away from feeling like we have nothing, to understanding that we have everything.
Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.
LOVE, PEACE, HOPE, AND GRATITUDE
So, this Christmas as you find yourself lost in a crowd, lost in time, lost in the whirlwind, remember that it’s not about the bows, the lights, and the packages. Perhaps it’s more in line with one’s sentiment, outlook, and attitude. It’s about camaraderie, solidarity, and harmony. It’s what rests within all of us, the place of peace, of acceptance, of gratitude, and joy, but most importantly it’s the place of love. The same love that arrived in the world, cradled in the manger giving humanity hope.