The gifts of the season

For Christmas this year, I’m giving myself permission to stay home, just my love and me, and do absolutely nothing, maybe watching movies, or reading, or listening to music, or just lying in each others arms and talking. It’s been (in the words of the Counting Crows) a long December, one that seems to have lasted all year, for me, and more difficult days ahead.

But tomorrow is the winter solstice, which marks the turning of the year and the returning of the light as the days now begin to lengthen toward spring. Friday night is Christmas Eve, marking the eternal return of another kind of Light to the world. Sunday is a personal celebration day for me, as it marks the birth of my son. For others, many of these days between now and the New Year mean observances of other celebrations, each with their own symbols of life and hope, of prayers for peace and gifts of love. So many paths,  all leading to the same summit, and the same sun shining in many windows.

So I’ve chosen to give myself a little break, a season of rest in the spaces between, to take comfort from the light rather than dwell upon the shadows behind and in the path ahead, to remember and give thanks that I’m blessed to have so many people that I love who love me right back ~ and to rest in the upwelling joy that ordinary people in an ordinary place can create when they choose to do so ~ like this gift of joy given me by one of my daughters.

Wishing, for all of you, an upwelling of quiet joy and all the love and peace this season brings ~

6 Replies to “The gifts of the season”

  1. I love it, I love it. I’ve seen several of these events shown on Youtube. Dancers in a train station, a choir in a street, etc. Art to the people, indeed. How I wish I could be so lucky as to be in the audience. I think I would go and personally thank as many of the performers I could remember. I loved the way a mother took her son’s hand. Will you remember that, little boy?

    What’s also striking is that performers at these kinds of events are very good. In this case, the two first soloists’ voices, with the opening Hallelujah, the woman and the man, are powerful and rich. These people are not singing some watered down version of the Chorus, their high notes are strong and pure, they keep perfect time. A choir singing with no apparent direction has to be extremely well prepared. And their own enjoyment of their performance is really heart-warming. As you wrote the upwelling joy that ordinary people in an ordinary place can create when they choose to do so .

    And I hope there will be many hallelujahs and a lot of warm light in your holiday season.

  2. I love these too! Flash mobs always bring joy but this was amazing 😉

    I hope you have a restful and enjoyable Christmas, ‘becca! And may this New Year be one where you see a lot of personal and professional happiness.
    Tiff 😉

  3. Love, joy and light to you, my beautiful, wise friend! Always holding a wish for many blessings for you in my heart. xoox Jess

  4. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be there for such an event? (but then I’d wish I had a recording of it! ;-). I’d never even heard of a “flash mob” event before ~ I’d want to thank them all, too, as many as I could, because every time I watch this I get goosebumps. Imagine what it would have been like to have actually been there.

  5. Thanks so much for your good wishes, Tiff ~ and for all you do for so many people. Wishing you and the family a warm, bright, and wonderful holiday, and continued success and happiness in the New Year ~

    ‘becca

  6. Thank you, my Jess ~ Love, light, and joy for you and Luke and the little ones as well, and always my best wishes for happiness, dear love.

    Love you always ~
    ‘becca

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