Day 80
Tonight I am thinking about Christmas. This is the first Christmas in a very, very long time that Christmas is arriving in an unfamiliar way. We normally would have our presents purchased and wrapped and under the tree. This year it is not so.
We walk into Christmas Eve accepting all that has transpired. We are suffering a tremendous loss and having a Christmas that sets that memory aside in favor of shopping and exchanging gifts seems wrong.
We will do that a little later, but on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we will simply enjoy each other and give thanks for all we have and yes, all we have lost. We are both looking forward to just sitting with each other in front of the Christmas tree without any concern for gifts or expectations. We will just be together and focus on why we celebrate this holiday.
I have experienced a lot of loss in my life and this Christmas comes on the heels of another devastating loss. We will take our steps slowly with great reverence. And that’s okay. It is the way we will regain our footing and move forward into the new year.
For all of you who read here, I wish you a Blessed Christmas. It will be filled with moments that will become memories — hopefully more good than bad. For those of you who do not celebrate this holiday or who also find yourself in similar circumstances, I encourage you to just embrace the time to find peace within yourself.
“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, and then speak it again.”
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