The Holiday Season is Here
Our home is decorated with much-loved winter and Christmas things. Sleds, Santas, snowmen, mistletoe, angels, reindeer, a small nativity, and our beautiful tree. My collection grows as we add Santas from our travels. This year’s addition on the mantle is a Santa Fe Santa watching over one of our oldest folk art Santas. The small red plastic Santa from my childhood sits next to family photos. A mix of old memories and new ones in the making.
Holiday Expectations
Besides the Santas, the tree, and other decorations there’s a heightened atmosphere of expectation in our home. Expectation of good, of happiness, kindness, and laughter. Me being me I want to bring as many people as possible into this atmosphere. A party, our writing group, our neighbors coming by to choose from our over-abundant harvest of lemons and limes.
Sharing in Words
I also want to share all this in words. This comes from my love affair with words and believing that words are powerful. But what are the best, the perfect words to express this? Striving for perfection has been a life-long challenge for me, one the loving adult part of me knows is not possible. I can imagine that adult shaking her head, but understanding, “There she goes again, trying to be perfect, when she could be outside playing, or sitting by the fire reading, or spending time with Hank.”
Lucky me, a Christmas miracle intervened. As I read some holiday cards and newsletters, I saw two in particular said exactly what I was searching for. I didn’t have to invent the perfect pithy phrase. My friends have done it already.
Two Christmas Wishes
With their permission I offer you two Christmas wishes:
“As we celebrate Christmas this year our fervent wish is that we and all our friends and family stay healthy and happy. We pray that our beloved country will move toward acceptance of the diversity which has made it so great and that everyone will treat each other with a huge dose of human kindness.” ~ A heartfelt thank-you to our dear friend Duke
“Sometime amid the many preparations and celebrations, may you find a quiet moment to hear the angels sing.” ~ With loving thanks to our dear friend Mona
Merry Christmas!
Ethel Lee-Miller blogs regularly about people, the power of words, and the writing life. She’s been immersed in writing for over 30 years, teaching, coaching, editing, and gathering writers to publicly share their work. She is the author of Thinking of Miller Place, and Seedlings, Stories of Relationships. She also enjoys sharing stories at Odyssey Storytelling, Tucson Tellers of Tales, and just about anywhere there’s a mic.
