Christmas Wonder

Frosty white trees line the dark street, and snow banks loom on either side, waiting to envelope cars should they stray too far to one side or the other.  The cold snap of last week is now behind us, that too-early blast of arctic crispness reminding us we are indeed alive, a question you ask yourself more often when you can’t feel your extremities.

We’ve shoveled and brushed and broomed the driveways and sidewalks and have put Mother Nature back in her orderly place; thanks for coming, but just stay out of the way a little and we’ll all get along just fine, thank you very much.

The calendar says we’re getting close to Christmas, the media are relentless in their reminders of the dwindling number of shopping days and the avalanche of flyers and ads that arrive daily in the mailbox should provide me with enough wrapping paper for more than a few Christmases, and I’d be green and saving the environment at the same time, never mind a White Christmas these days, just to counter-balance the marketing and redundant packaging of goods we’d all be better off just skipping the wrapping paper altogether.

But that defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? The surprise, the mystery, the wonder of what awaits inside the present? Imagine a world where gifts were placed under the tree in all their naked glory – no wonderful streams of coloured ribbon, no tangled mass of bows, and sticky tape and textured papers to woo the senses and slow down the curious child inside.  No suspense, no wonderment – just instant gratification.  Immediate consumption of yet another consumer good, the meaning and message behind the gift lost in the swell of more and more and more please!

The lights on the Christmas Tree throw layers of tiny shadows to the wall beyond, creating a wonderfully soft glow to the room.  I’m sitting trying to recapture the feeling of Christmases past, remembering the details, the people, the places, the presents, the fun and honest easiness of family gathering together.  It hasn’t felt like Christmas yet this year, and I don’t know why. 

The decorations have been up in the house as long as they usually are, both trees decorated and slowly filling beneath with shiny parcels and festive gift bags; the malls and stores are filled with stressed shoppers and tired carols blasting from tired speakers somewhere overhead.  The snow and cold and darkened skies have all arrived on time.  The reminders are all there, but I’m still missing something.

Maybe the fact that the boy is now in high school and we don’t have take home art projects and concerts to remind us of the fast approaching deadline is important, or maybe we’re not bombarded these days as we were in the past with requests for Santa and letters and stories at bedtime…

The world stands currently saddened by unthinkable tragedy, and tries to make sense out of the senseless.  A nation mourns and wrings its hands, and wonders where it went so wrong.  Everyone can relate this time, and the unfathomable pain at this time of year sends many to a deeper silence attempting to find some tiny thread of meaningful purpose amid the confusion and loss.

There is no making sense of this, there is only acceptance of the reality, and the need for compassion and caring words of wisdom in a time where many will attempt to use the events for personal motives and political traction – a direct disconnect from the shared human experience we were meant to shoulder together at times like these, when communities were smaller and more isolated from the rest of the world, when the healing could start more quickly and there didn’t exist a need for the play-by-play of the events so openly discussed and broadcast as freely as a ballgame on some warm summer evening…

The silent stillness outside calls my soul.  It’s quest for remembrance of seasons past still strong, but tempered now with thoughts of others.  I’ve been looking for signs of the season outside it seems, waiting for something beyond to trigger a feeling inside, instead of the other way around.  It’s not about the appearance of things that signals Christmas, or the date on the calendar long circled in red, or the baking and presents and traveling plans – those are all part of the equation, it’s true, but it is the reminder that this is a time for Joyful celebration and Hope and Faith all surrounded and wrapped up with Love; of Goodwill to all men, and Peace on Earth - timely wishes to be sure.

The Christmas Tree lights still twinkle in the dim light of morning.  The darkness will be followed by the light; it always has and always will.  A mourning nation will feel differently this year, perhaps not as jolly or merry as in year’s past – and that’s a good thing.  Maybe it’s time to feel a little more subdued this season, less Santa and more Saviour, less festive and more Faith, less presents and more Present.

May you all find what you truly need this Holiday Season – whether wrapped in paper and tied with ribbon; hidden in a stranger’s face as you pass on a busy street; or safely tucked inside memories of year’s past, and may the true Spirit of the Season reside in you and stay with you.