I wasn’t going to put up a tree this year. Much as I like trees and stars and twinkly lights,
I wasn’t going to put up a tree this year. Much as I like trees and stars and twinkly lights, much as I was relieved of the burden of running things past my roommates - after my dental surgery, especially, I couldn’t justify the cost. But then my friend Katie said she could give me her family’s old tree, and a couple strings of lights, and I was able to put one up after all. Like so many things this year, it was a comedy of errors. I couldn’t find the ribbons I’d taken off various ornaments I’d chosen to display on my shelves, so I had to use some strong nylon cord to hang them. I got the seven-pointed star I wanted - this being an important symbol in my own faith - but it proved to be too heavy to stay up top, so I had to put it on a lower branch and brace it. It was all perfectly imperfect. I haven’t been a Christian in a long time, and often I find myself resenting the cultural dominance of Christianity. But Christmas still appeals to me, and it feels only right to take the trappings back and make it my own. There is an allure in facing the darkest hour of the year and casting light, warmth, joy and kindness back into the world. We live in a universe that is, as Welcome to Night Vale has put it, mostly void, partially stars. For all my faith, I must admit that the vast emptiness, dotted here and there with flickering candles, is all we are truly guaranteed. Very well, then. If the world is dark, we must make light. If the world is cold, we must make warmth. If the world is unkind or unjust, we must try to create kindness and justice. If the world is devoid of meaning, we must make our own. This has been a very difficult year for all of us, and I admit my flame has guttered low. But there have still been those who brought me light and warmth in this dark and terrible time, and I am grateful for every bit of it. I hope it will soon be my turn, once again, to cast light and warmth for others. Happy holidays, my friends, and a very happy new year. 2021 may begin in darkness, but I pray we will find a way to make it end in light. (at Medford, Massachusetts) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJb_HoDj60I/?igshid=1142gvan29jh8 -- source link