Faith allows things to happen. It is the power that comes from a fearless heart. And when a fearless heart believes, miracles happen.
The year reluctantly surrenders the last days of December to the eager attentiveness of another year. If I knew the secret of snow globes this interlude would endure as the epitome of family tradition; that place where joys and dreams live on and on, impervious to harm or decay.
No one can tell you how to find that place but you know exactly where it is and when you are there. When you are truly in that place, you do not merely believe or hope, you are wrapped in a sense of belonging and safety that bolsters the courage necessary to assume risks and to take on the difficult challenges. Your faith, integrity, purpose and veracity empower your sense of survival because you know that there are some things that can never be taken from you, some things you cannot lose.
Like the sharp, sweet, citrus smell of loblolly pine satiating the crisp air as you snap across the lance-shaped needle bundles and crunch the cones under foot, exploring the woods for a flawless Christmas tree. One that spans the width of the front window and brushes lightly against a lofty ceiling, leaving behind hints of sticky resin. The proud evergreen whorls of horizontal branches dangle diaphanous ornaments that sparkle and wink in flashes of seasonal colors to enthrall your heart and spirit.
The sound of nostalgia lingers in semitones of Christmas carols sung together by divas, eager children and tone-deaf innocents whose only wish is to have their elation soar over roof tops and bounce into heaven.
If possible, I would still the hours and, over and over again, savor kisses under the mistletoe, ripped red ribbons flying away from tinseled wrapping to reveal a wish granted, surprised squeals, wide, round eyes, tears of happiness and loving hugs. The blanket tenderly placed on the baby in the manger by a child who knows the bite of cold or the sting of loneliness would remain frozen in time.
What’s so special about nostalgia anyway?
Perhaps it opens your eyes to the riches of being with those you love, opens your heart to the beauty and value of each day, opens your spirit to the privilege of being able to experience joy, opens your faith to the blessings everywhere.
Maybe it cancels the need to acquire or to dominate in order to be happy, unburdens you from the limitations you’ve pirated from others, empties your mind of the fears, doubts, worries and distractions constructed upon each other. Possibly nostalgia lets you be yourself, filled with possibility and the knowledge that all that you need to live life fully is already yours. Steeped in melancholy, you recall memories of what you once believed was possible, longed for and knew could be.
Yet, looking beyond the noise and turmoil of your current thoughts, you may uncover hopes toppled by disillusionment or lost to desperation.
If so, shatter the globe that binds your regrets and let any resentment, anger or disappointment from the past dissolve into nothingness, never to return. Let any anxiety or worry about the future melt away. Do it now to make a positive difference; free yourself.
Look lovingly at where you are, at whom you’re with, at what you’re doing and find a reason to be thankful. Flailing against the darkness will not scare it away. Yet shine your light into its depths and it is no more.
Fighting against your problems makes them stronger and injects them with validity. Instead, transform difficult situations by virtue of your own positive values and efforts. An apropos quote from Herman Hesse tells us Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.
The more profoundly you appreciate something in your life, the more value you give to it. Graciousness truly opens your eyes to the incredible abundance that is all around and tempts you to take advantage of the special magic of kindness. Abundance then becomes yours.
Kindness is not a difficult thing to grasp or create. It is freely available to all who wish to indulge in its mystique. Every day you unearth abundant opportunities for kindness, each one overflowing with a value more precious than gold.
Conceivably, you may be fighting against obstacles that don’t even exist, yet hold you back more powerfully than the real problems because they prevent you from taking the first step. This pilfers any incentive to move forward.
Where do your thoughts go when your world becomes silent? What do you do when there is nothing that must be done to fill the moments when nothing is expected of you? Take note of what you most willingly and passionately turn to when you can make any choice. These things hold clues to the passions and purposes able to move you powerfully forward because they suggest that idea or ideal that is truly meaningful for you.
Discount how the rest of the world defines success for the success defined by what you treasure is the only success you will conquer. The courage to move forward depends largely on the things you value most in your life. If you don’t already know the value of your most precious treasures, discover, define and understand their significance. Then, give them life.
When you place the greatest value on fleeting, shallow, superficial possessions, you’re constantly at risk of losing it all. Money and material possessions are expedient and can bring a certain richness to life. However, belongings can quickly disappear. Yet if you allow the value of your life to be defined by them, you’re building on wobbly ground.
Traditions that linger and stand the test of time are meaningful, have intrinsic value and tell a story of unity, character, integrity and love that flourishes beyond place and age.
The very best traditions come from ordinary moments. It is not so much what transpires that makes life worthwhile. Rather, it is what you do with it. Some folks are wretched even in the most stimulating, luxurious surroundings, while others find wonder and magic in the most common, routine circumstances.
They know that there are real miracles just waiting to be revealed and if they rely on some extraneous outside factor, even if they attain happiness, they will be frustrated by the sense of emptiness it brings.
But, before famished time completely erodes the dying year, there is still time to solidify the wonders of your holiday and plant them carefully in this year’s snow globe. Pack them carefully with the comfort of family, the camaraderie of neighbors, friends and people that flit through your days, anticipating that next year they will be more than strangers.
Enclose your treasures, old and new, with a heavy coating of love and kindness and save room for the amazing plans you have made, the visions you dream of and the joys you will relish.
Just think of all there is still waiting: the turkey and stuffing, mincemeat pie, cranberry sauce and chilled bottles of wine to sip. Santa Claus and stockings waiting to be filled. Christmas mass and glorious hymns.
Walks after sunset to ogle the inflatable, people-eating-sized snowmen, reindeer and elves that threaten to crush rooftops and topple porches. There are certainly tasteful light shows that illuminate the sidewalks with cheer and yards popping with every imaginable icon, figurine or ornament designed this millennium.
It seems dicey that we will stuff all the many cherished traditions into the miserly pocket of time still remaining but, should you choose to accept the mission, I believe you can do it.
For my part I have to admit, I accept more missions than I should, probably because about many things from incredible to impossible, I simply Believe.
