Season of Holidays

 

In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the season of darkness.  It is a time to bring light.  Light a candle.  String up the lights. Build a bonfire.  Hunker down until the returning of the sun.

Whichever 'holiday' you celebrate, if you live in the northern hemisphere, it generally includes the bringing of the light, one way or another.

I was raised Christian, and left the church in my teens - a decision I cemented as an adult.  I read about various religions, eventually deciding that I didn't 'need' a formula to follow, or have someone else interpret the scriptures to me.  (Most of the interpreters were male, which irked.)  But I was well-versed in the scripture, the Beatitudes, the teaching of Jesus.  During my exploration of the major religions, I realized that most of them espoused very similar teachings, just phrased differently - different cultures, different languages, different words.  But similar meanings.

By the time of the winter holidays, I was usually burned out.  The grind of preparing (all year) to make about 3/4s of my income during the 4th quarter of the year, then hope like hell whatever was left after I paid my bills would be enough to get me into the 3rd quarter, when the money started to begin coming in again?  I suppose I should not be surprised that my cortisol is much higher than it should ideally be.  I lived on adrenaline and stress and carefully timed deadlines and hoped like hell I didn't get sick at any point in the year.  If I did, I was usually back at the loom before I was completely recovered because the deadline just kept getting closer and there was (usually) just me to meet them.

When I did hire someone to help in the studio, they usually got more cash in their pockets than I ever did because the bills never stopped, either.  No electricity, heat, a/c (in the summer) and no water, and no income.

Now that I'm retired I can't be bothered paying a lot of attention to Christmas (or any other holiday, frankly).  It's just a day.  There is just the two of us and we are perfectly happy if I make a big pot of a hearty soup (more stew, truth be told) and fill a bowl and heat that for xmas dinner.  

Last year I don't think I sent out cards until well into the new year - something about a brain bleed and zero energy to cope with it.  When I do send out cards, they tend to be generic - Happy Holidays!  Because I tend to write my cards out between xmas and new years and mail them in the new year.

But all year round, I tend to pay attention and when and wherever I can, I try to light candles for others.  Because lighting someone else's candle does not extinguish my own.  It takes so little to be the spark for someone else, and then you will have two sources of light.  Even better if a host of people find that their candle gets lit.  

Because we only banish the dark by bringing light.  And if we all focus on being light rather than dark, we will all get through this season of darkness better than without.

So I wish you in this time of darkness a spark to light your candle.  So you can see more clearly.  So you can see where your personal contribution to others might be best spent.  Whatever your belief, believe in the power you have to spread light.  

Best wishes to all for the season.