Light Shining In the Dark

Pam  lit this candle for Lisa (OceanDreamer), who is keeping vigil with her mother now,* and I am  lighting it as best I can here, passing it on. There are candles lit on GPS blogs all around the world today for this dear lady.  My heart goes out to her as she faces these last days with her mother.

*Update: I've just learned that dear Lisa's mother passed on yesterday. My condolences to her and her family. Sending her my love and wishing her peace at this sad time.

There are so many in the blogging world who have recently lost their own loved ones, too - Gemma and Kara, my heart goes out to you as well.  To any of you who have lost a family member. It's never easy to lose someone you love, and during the holidays their absence, that empty place at the table, is brought into such stark relief.  But the love never ends - the love does indeed go on.

I was chastising myself last night, for how far behind I am this Christmas. No cards sent out yet; few gifts made or bought (let alone wrapped!). The tree not up yet. It was well past bedtime - too late to do any of the many things I still need to do; but I couldn't sleep. So I started doodling (seen here), trying to calm myself, while mulling over some ideas. Thinking about how easy it is, to think things aren't all that they're cracked up to be.

About how the holidays seem to raise our expectations so much - we expect so much more of ourselves; of our loved ones and friends. We worry about not meeting their expectations; if that happens, then we feel we've let ourselves down, as well as them.

If everything isn't picture perfect, if it doesn't live up to the image we have of the holidays, everyone cheerfully gathered around a feast on the table, with an abundance of  beautifully wrapped presents under the perfect Christmas tree; if this person or that person didn't send a present or a card, or just isn't there anymore, somehow it's so easy to feel as though Christmas was ruined. But it isn't really. It's still Christmas. A day that's remembered, because Someone was born, and His mother was happy to just find a light shining in the dark. To have a roof over their heads, to stay warm while giving birth to Him.

That's all. Everything else about the day, is just icing on the birthday cake.  Whatever images we have in our minds about  Christmas,  they  are mostly brought to us by the wonders of technology and big business. I don't think in centuries past, that people were quite so frantic about the holiday. They had little to compare it to - perhaps a description in a book; maybe an engraving. But everyone I think was pretty much happy with their Christmas, what ever way they celebrated it, as long as they had food to eat; somewhere warm to stay, their own little bit of light shining for them in the darkness.

Something that I'm trying to remember now, is a life story I heard last year. I was in line beside an elderly woman, who said to me, "You know, we were poor when we were growing up; but we didn't know it at the time. We lived out on a farm, and we were happy to get an orange and some nuts in our stockings. Sometimes some hard candy. That's pretty much what everybody got, that we knew of. We didn't know we was poor - we had enough to eat, shoes to wear and a roof over our heads. We just thought that's the way everyone lived. The way everyone had Christmas. It wasn't till after I grew up and got married, had kids that we got a TV, that I found out any different."

I'm as rich as I think I am. My Christmas will be as happy as I think of it as - no matter how much or how little it looks like the Christmas on the screens of the computer and the TV. No matter if there are empty places at the table - I've mourned those empty place settings for far too long, when really, I know they're at the table with me in my heart, every night. We will have something good to eat; there will be a fire to warm ourselves by;  lights on the tree, shining in the night. I'll be grateful for whatever presents are under the tree.
I am grateful it will be a good Christmas.

I wish it could be as good for everyone else.

   

Comments

[Paris Parfait]

Amen, my wise and beautiful friend! My sentiments, exactly. I've been quite distressed this week, w/ health issues, seeing a 92-year-old man shaking with Parkinson's in the metro begging; a million little things that just take away the Christmas spirit. Your post says it all. And beautiful art, as well. Thank you, dear Terri. xo

[Kai]

You post beautiful sentiments and lovely art..Im glad I stopped by,
Peace, Kai

[Pam Aries]

My Dear Tink! This was very profound! THank you for writing it...there are so many things going on in this world today.... personally for all of us ,as well as globally. It is very frustrating this time of year. Thanks for reminding us what it is really all about!

[Daisy Lupin]

Lovely posting, it certainly does put everything into proportion, I will keep it in mind when I am starting to do my made whirling dervish dance or trying to get everything ready at once. Now will my computer let me post this?

[lisa]

Tinker, thank you. This is the perfect post at the perfect time.

[miss*R]

I ditto all of the other comments - beautiful post * perfect. thankyou xoxo
ps- love your doodling :)

[Greenishlady]

I loved reading this, and thank you for these wise words. They will change my approach to Christmas this year, I think.

[Jana]

You have some seriously valid points Tinker... Thanks for reminding me to be gentle with myself this year, and enjoy the things that ARE here this Christmas instead of flipping out about what isn't. *hug*

[artzyjudie]

Your outlook on life is always so positive, no matter what. I think that is a wonderful thing.

[Caroline]

You are so right!

We do all push ourselves to create some ideal that is probably unachievable...

I wish you all the oranges and nuts in your stockings that you could possibly want!

[tammy vitale]

wow. enough said. thank you!

[Gemma]

Thank you Tinker

[Marilyn]

Beautifully, beautifully said, Tinker.

[Kara]

Thank you Tinker I just saw this tonight. Love the art work as well as the sentiments - you're a treasure