It is Christmas Eve as I write. The sun has set and the moon, or what we can see of it, has risen. My oven is solidly shut to "off," my floors are vacuumed and washed, the counters are wiped clean, the hundreds of cookies have been bagged, boxed and delivered, and I am officially off duty. I baked more than ever before this year, and heres a sampling of the fruits of my labors, the "last batch." Victory is sweet, considering this last batch was completed about 2:30 in the morning.
 |
| A little vegan Christmas cookie fun to end the season! |
At this time of year I reflect. What is it that I reflect upon, well I guess it depends on the year, my mood, and what's going on in the world. I often reflect on times past when everyone I loved was gathered near to me, laughter was abundant and things seemed simpler. Not easier, just simpler. I used to know what was expected of me, how to live life conventionally and I played the part pretty well. Now all the strings have been cut loose, and I can live by my own ideals and terms, whatever they may be depending on the hour of the day. Sometimes that makes for a rocky road, but heck I muddle through ok.
I miss my family. I miss my friends. Sometimes it's not just miles that separate us, but rather something much bigger.... they've moved onto other astral planes or places that the rest of us can only can wonder about. No matter how hard I try to push the hustle and bustle of the season aside, at some point things crash down around me and reality hits that loved ones are here one day, gone the next. This season amplifies all this for me, and usually it's Christmas Eve when the house of cards crumbles. I know I'm not alone on this. Far too many of my friends have lost loved ones this year, people & animals. Far too many in the world have lost loved ones this year, people and animals. The world is in chaos, or so it seems. And, when it all seems to crash down, I am one of the luckiest people on Earth because I go outside on my little beach, light a candle and stare at the sky.
I do not celebrate Christmas in the religious fashion, but I do observe this time as one where for some reason it seems a little easier for me to reach out and visit with spirits of Christmas past. I've opened something bubbly and am making a beeline straight for the beach as soon as I finish this post. While I'm sad because of so much angst in the world right now, I'm grateful that there remain very good people to carry on. That, and a good beach and I'm good to go.
Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate.
No comments:
Post a Comment