We are smack dab in the middle of what we commonly call the Holiday Season, greeted all the way from signs of resignation to quiet (or not so quiet) resentments to real delight seen in the eyes of the very young enjoying colored lights and good smells. For many it’s a time for family gatherings or get-togethers among mutually-created families. On the lighter side, some of my Jewish friends tell a wonderful story on themselves. They say that if you are looking for Jews on Christmas, you’ll probably find them in a Chinese restaurant, which is one of the few places open! Then there are those who have no religious or familial connections who can enjoy a spiritual day of quiet reflection and renewal, and who’s to say that these folks don’t have the wisest use of the occasion.
Its own kind of healing...
Wherever we find ourselves in this mix, there should be one thing we are not subject to, and that is the abuse that some inflict upon hapless family or friends when days off are just an excuse for bad behaviors, perhaps due to substance overuse. This is not just a problem for holidays and needs its own kind of healing mechanisms over a long-term basis.
We might never have imagined...
Holidays are, after all, times away from the regular schedules, and they can be special. The Christmas Holidays, which also involve Channukah and very occasionally Ramadan, can be highly spiritual…a real time out to take stock of what values anchor our lives. Perhaps they are involved in honoring beliefs; perhaps they allow for treasured gatherings. Whatever they mean these times can carry some of the most interesting little gems. Yes, they are times of gift giving and extensions of ourselves, and sometimes some of the gifts bring things we might have never imagined. For several decades it has been my husband’s and my habit to hold Christmas dinner and some present opening at our home. Over time our guests have taken to bringing dishes so that there are many hands involved in food prep. These dinners have enlarged, of course, as partners and grandchildren have come along, and I would wonder from time to time if these growing young adults wouldn’t prefer other pursuits and other places rather than hanging around with grandparents, of all people. Then during our last Christmas gathering I happened to walk behind the chair of a granddaughter who now has a wiggling toddler of her own. I caught just a snatch of her conversation with a cousin as I was passing by, and I heard her say, “Well, of course we spend Christmas with Nana and Grandpa. It’s tradition!” Who would have thought??
Funny how some of the smallest things can sometimes make the biggest differences!
We might never have imagined...
Holidays are, after all, times away from the regular schedules, and they can be special. The Christmas Holidays, which also involve Channukah and very occasionally Ramadan, can be highly spiritual…a real time out to take stock of what values anchor our lives. Perhaps they are involved in honoring beliefs; perhaps they allow for treasured gatherings. Whatever they mean these times can carry some of the most interesting little gems. Yes, they are times of gift giving and extensions of ourselves, and sometimes some of the gifts bring things we might have never imagined. For several decades it has been my husband’s and my habit to hold Christmas dinner and some present opening at our home. Over time our guests have taken to bringing dishes so that there are many hands involved in food prep. These dinners have enlarged, of course, as partners and grandchildren have come along, and I would wonder from time to time if these growing young adults wouldn’t prefer other pursuits and other places rather than hanging around with grandparents, of all people. Then during our last Christmas gathering I happened to walk behind the chair of a granddaughter who now has a wiggling toddler of her own. I caught just a snatch of her conversation with a cousin as I was passing by, and I heard her say, “Well, of course we spend Christmas with Nana and Grandpa. It’s tradition!” Who would have thought??
Funny how some of the smallest things can sometimes make the biggest differences!
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