Holiday traditions
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Believe
“We were dreamers not so long ago. But one by one, we all had to grow up. When it seems the magic slipped away, We find it all again on Christmas day.” ~from “Believe” by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri Everything they say about seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes is true — but I’d nearly forgotten. Now that there’s a little boy in my life again, I’ve been rereading The Polar Express aloud at bedtime and rediscovering the magic of flying reindeer and jingling sleigh bells. Chris Van Allsberg’s award-winning picture book was published the year our son was born (1985) and was a holiday hit in our home…
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How much stuff makes you happy?
“Very little is needed to make a happy life.” ~Marcus Aurelius Today’s quote sounds like a slap in the face of Christmas commercialism, right? Marcus Aurelius was a Roman ruler and stoic philosopher who believed people didn’t need an excess of bright and shiny things to find satisfaction in life. And while his frugal philosophy looks good in print, it’s not as easy to practice when you’re wandering the aisles of any department store during the winter holidays. No matter how deeply you respect its religious origins, Christmas in our country is tightly tied to buying stuff. Lots of stuff. Watch any Christmas commercial on TV, and you’ll see troops…
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The gift of your attention
“Nothing you can give will ever be more appreciated than your sincere, focused attention—your full presence. Truly being with someone, and listening without a clock and without anticipation of the next event, is the ultimate compliment.” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life At this point in December, I’m usually preoccupied with holiday stress and anxiety. As Christmas draws closer, I wake up with a chorus of elves reciting a mile-long “to-do” list in my head: When are you going to finish your Christmas cards? What will you bring to the Christmas Eve party? What else do you need for the Christmas morning brunch you’re hosting? Have you overlooked anyone…
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Treasure trees
“Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago.” ~Tom Baker When Doug and I became empty nesters, we started scaling back on holiday decorations. Simplifying the season, we banked the mantel with greens and twinkle lights, but didn’t put up a Christmas tree. We’d grown tired of hauling everything down from the attic. But things have changed now that we have a little grandson who’s old enough to appreciate the magic of Christmas. Last year, we bought a new tree and retrieved the ornaments we’ve collected over the years. My favorites include the paper and macaroni ornaments…
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Some thoughts on holiday charity
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~William James It’s easy to dismiss our own actions as inconsequential drops in the bucket of the grand scheme of things. But as William James reminds us in today’s quote, that isn’t true. And before I get started here, I should add that I’m not campaigning for the Salvation Army, though I do appreciate the organization’s year-long efforts to help others in need. But I think about William James’s quote nearly every time I pass the folks who are ringing bells at the entrance of my local grocery store. Since I visit this market almost daily, I encounter these…
