Merry Little Christmas

(Photo: Nativity, 2005. Brittany as Mary; Stephanie in her reindeer hat, to the left, decided to be a goat.)

About 6 o'clock on Christmas morning 2007 the memories of Christmas celebrations in the past nudged their way through into my consciousness. I found myself weeping, a phenomenon currently common when either Art or I are feeling particularly vulnerable or emotionally tender. This time the realization that those earlier times were really past hit a soft place. I began thinking of the members of our family (and of our friends) one by one. I worried about struggles I knew about and "what ifs". (Worry is an old habit of mine, difficult to break.) That process felt way too hard, mostly because the problems of others are, for the most part, out of my control. Finally it came to me how grateful I am for each one. So I began naming each person in my circle of loved individuals one at a time. I thanked God for their strengths and asked him to bless lives according to his wisdom. The process took quite a long time. There were many strengths to list and each person is unique. I was struck again by the power residing within each of them. At that point, it didn't matter what the rest of the day would bring, I was content and at peace. BTW: The rest of the day was low-key and just right!