Love is an action verb.
It’s also a bit like kudzu – it’s all around us – with multiple definitions, but perhaps my favorite:
“To love is to will the good of another”.
Definition courtesy of St. Thomas Aquinas, succinctly capturing the spirit of the Christmas season.
My Mother claimed Aquinas also said “Never bet against Notre Dame”, but that was Bing Crosby.
There are countless variations of love: We love our spouse, children, friends, the world at large, and hopefully ourselves, but the commonality across those variations is putting others ahead of ourselves – to will their good.
For Christians, Easter is the most important day – through Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, death was vanquished (somewhere my 4th grade religion teacher, Sister Mary Soulcrusher, is nodding proudly), but Christmas is a close second.
It is the most visible display of His love for the world, sending His son to be born of this earth.
Ultimately, the ‘reason for the season’ is love – but that’s easily forgotten.
We tend to fixate on the commercial side of Christmas, which can be overwhelming, but the plus side of ‘gift mania’ is the generosity it embodies; the best gifts being those that tell another how well we understand and love them.
So much of Christmas joy is anticipation – particularly for kids; but the season can be incredibly hectic – particularly for adults; and as we’ve learned from Hallmark movies, not everyone loves Christmas.
But they’ll come around, won’t they? And in Hallmark movie fashion, we’ll convince the jaded developer to build around the Christmas tree shop!
So, you can either feel pressured by all there is to do, or drink in all the activity.
We choose to drink it all in:
Our season kicks off by selecting our tree; My Captor and I aren’t too picky, evaluating 3-4 before choosing.
We quickly bypass certain trees: the ‘Charlie Brown’ – lovable, but too scrawny, the ‘Lucy/Peppermint Patty’ – the big ones too much in our face, the ‘Pigpen’ – too many needles, opting for the ‘Linus’ – simple, unassuming, just right.
In a beach twist, our tree ‘stand’ is a sand filled bucket. Just like the Wise Men recommended to Mary and Joseph.
From there the incredible baking and gift selection commence. For the latter, Amazon has replaced the Sears Catalog – debate amongst yourselves if that’s a good thing…
Our family tradition also includes our card – photos carefully chosen, and the letter eventually written, to the delight of several.
We love the buildup – but our old friend Eeyore, not so much.
Eeyore chooses to fixate on the expense, the pressure to find the ‘right’ gift, it “starts earlier every year” – the commercial downsides of the season.
He complains the ‘donkey gifts’ section at Amazon is uninspiring – there used to be great gifts in the Sears catalog!
No wonder Eeyore famously said “I was so upset, I forgot to be happy”.
We all have a touch of Eeyore in us, but I’m resolved to banish my Inner Eeyore!
There is too much to love, and be grateful for about Christmas, to be anything but excited.
It helps to remember what Christmas really means: Gratitude for the ultimate gift, and the love of family and friends!
And while much of our anticipation is for the gift exchange, even Eeyore knows that family is the greatest gift, and the best Christmas the one celebrated with loved ones.
I leave you with Winnie the Pooh’s words of wisdom: “If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll be there forever”.
Merry Christmas!
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TO ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENTOF THIS POST, PAIR IT WITH THE FOLLOWING SONGS:
Ripple Grateful Dead
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It’s a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they’re better left unsung
I don’t know, don’t really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who’s to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
While My Guitar Gently Weeps The Beatles
I look at you all
See the love there that’s sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor
And I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don’t know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don’t know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you
I look at the world
And I notice, it’s turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake
We must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don’t know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don’t know how you were inverted
No one alerted you
I look from the wings
At the play you are staging
While my guitar gently weeps
‘Cause I’m sitting here
Doing nothing but aging
Still my guitar gently weeps
Pipes of Peace Paul McCartney
I light a candle to our love
In love our problems disappear
But all in all, we’ll soon discover
That one and one is all we long to hear
All around the world
Little children being born to the world
Got to give them all we can ’til the war is won
Then will the work be done?
Help them to learn (Help them to learn)
Songs of joy instead of “burn, baby, burn” (Burn, baby, burn)
Let us show them how to play the pipes of peace
Play the pipes of peace
Help me to learn
Songs of joy instead of “burn, baby, burn”
Won’t you show me how to play (How to play)
The pipes of peace? (Pipes of peace)
Play the pipes of peace
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
One Love Bob Marley and the Waivers
One love, one heart
Let’s get together and feel all right
Hear the children cryin’ (one love)
Hear the children cryin’ (one heart)
Sayin’ give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Sayin’ let’s get together and feel all right
Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (one love)
There is one question I’d really love to ask (one heart)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinners
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs?
One love, what about the one heart, one heart
What about, people, let’s get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (one love)
So shall it be in the end (one heart)
All right! Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let’s get together and feel all right, one more thing
Let’s get together to fight this Holy Armagiddyon (one love)
So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (one song)
Have pity on those whose chances grows t’inner
There ain’t no hiding place from the Father of Creation
Sayin’, one love, what about the one heart? (one heart)
What about the, let’s get together and feel all right
I’m pleadin’ to mankind (one love)
Oh, Lord (one heart) whoa
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let’s get together and feel all right
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let’s get together and feel all right
(What’s So funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and understanding? Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Written by Nick Lowe, who was Johnny Cash’s son-in -law for a bit
As I walk through this wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity
I ask myself, is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside
There’s one thing I wanna know
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh
What’s so funny ’bout peace love and understanding?
And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding?
So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding?
All the Best John Prine
I wish you love
And happiness
I guess I wish
You all the best
I wish you don’t
Do like I do
And ever fall in love with
Someone like you
Cause if you fell
Just like I did
You’d probably walk around the block like a little kid
But kids don’t know
They can only guess
How hard it is
To wish you happiness
I guess that love
Is like a Christmas card
You decorate a tree
You throw it in the yard
It decays and dies
And the snowmen melt
Well I once knew love
I knew how love felt
Yeah I knew love
Love knew me
And when I walked
Love walked with me
And I got no hate
And I got no pride
Well, I got
So much love that I cannot hide
Yeah, I got
So much love that I cannot hide
Say you drive a Chevy
Say you drive a Ford
You say you drive around the town till you just get bored
And then you change your mind
For something else to do
And your heart gets bored with your mind and it changes you
Well it’s a doggone shame
And it’s an awful mess
I wish you love
I wish you happiness
I wish you love
I wish you happiness
I guess I wish
You all the best
One of your best. 💚👍🏼❤️