I do love gifts, but they are not my favourite thing about the Christmas season. What I love most is the Christmas spirit. The opening of hearts that are generally cynical or guarded the rest of the year. I love the togetherness with no expectations except to celebrate the holiday. I love the colours, the lights, the sparkle, the fight against the growing dark and the festive encouragement to the year to turn toward light once more. In view of world events, I believe that today's solstice is a great reminder that light returns. The Christmas season, to me, is a celebration of that spark of light within each of us, the gentle humanity that is deep down somewhere, the joy that we can bring to life.
And gifts are only one tiny part of that. Gifts that celebrate awe, that encourage a spiritual awakening, or that provide a vision of a larger reality outside of our daily disappointments are the gifts that encapsulate Christmas to me.
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Happy Holidays!
Well said! Togetherness is the best part for me, but I'm finding it hard to teach that lesson to a pair of five-year-olds enamored with Santa(that's why "The Gift of Nothing" is one of my favorite kids books right now). Have a happy holiday!
ReplyDeleteI think that's why Bradbury's story touches me so much; the gift of the stars...so beautiful.
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