A crescent moon hung low in the sky the other night, unfairly juxtaposed beside a garish Christmas light display that threatened to steal its unassuming glory, but my eyes were mesmerized by the moon. These days my preferences run to the natural and subdued – more crescent moon than riotously-bright rainbow tree displays. It portends where this blog will be headed at the turn of the new year.
Subtlety.
Simplicity.
Sanctity.
For now, I sit before the Christmas tree, enjoying the colors of its ornaments and lights, but more than that the scent and shade of its evergreen nature. The ornaments, while beautiful, are merely extra – and for perhaps one of the first times in my life, I’m a little over being so extra.
Taking the extra out of Christmas reminds me of the holiday’s original meaning and message and its requisite lessons. You know, the whole Charlie Brown Christmas Special ending, the whole Scrooge/Grinch redemption arc, the whole ‘Growing Pains’ Christmas thief episode (too obscure?) – the neat and happy denouement that Christmas always promises, and that we pretend delivers for this one day.
The cynical/realist part of me knows it won’t last. We will try for a day, and we might make it stick for a bit – perhaps even into the new year if we piggyback it onto some resolutions – more promises destined and almost designed to fail.
But we are not there yet, and right now the hope is still alive. That’s what matters. Merry Christmas to all.
