December 21, 2014
Loved that concert on Saturday – what a beautiful piece!. We are so lucky to have that venue here…”
At my annual check-up, my Doctor referred to the Vivaldi Gloria performance, which to me was five concerts and seven rehearsals ago. Each one of these has been marvelous – food for curiosity, stretch for skills, a jeweled strand of eternal moments …
Meanwhile at home, we found a night in between all that to put the tree up with care, good humour. This required a large degree of shared determination – that this WILL happen, no matter what work schedule demands.
The tree fell crashing to the floor the day after it went up…
Oh well, it happens. We had too many glass decorations anyway…
It’s been that kind of approach to Christmas.
Tricky time, this season, especially in a year of profound change. We have not had a death to adjust to – a large pulsing place of Absence – but many of my good friends have lost mothers, dads, kids, grandchildren, friends, brothers. I can feel the larger community shuddering with the effort of containing these losses with dignity and grace.
Though thankfully not as dire, we face our own new internal tender spots here too. Death comes in many forms, and it’s name is change – one accepts this & shares this, or does not, choosing denial instead. Each family is a country with it’s own cultural dances, tales and music, all learned by rote and later either challenged, updated, amended, revised – or not.
The holly and the ivy – a gift from family this year
Our larger family is spread thinly – glue that has been there in years past has let go in places. In the rituals that remain though there is deeper value felt, because of this.
I have answered a call in these past two days to slow myself down. An instinctive urge to consider and observe what I love, right now, to recall what I admire and respect in people who are dear to me. I have made some time to wander these things, name them in wonder, and make gifts of them.
Happy Christmas, all.