The Party's Over

 

Christmas Reflection

“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

Brene Brown

          Now that Christmas is over, and we are sated on rich, delicious food, we may have a few minutes to process what this Christmas was like for us. What did we love about it, what did we hate? Where and when did we feel the joyful spirit of Christmas most, and least.

          Many of us spent the day with family or friends, and we observed the ways that various members interact with one another. Who gathers of family, who keeps the traditions, and who is always militating for change, for new ideas? Who wants to keep the holiday religious, and who simply revels in the gift-giving and eggnog? Who just wants to forget the whole thing?

          Sometimes we get to see the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde aspects of individuals and whole families. We have an opportunity to observe who among us likes to stir the pot, and who is the peacemaker. Whose anxiety spills over and sucks all the oxygen out of the room, and who is perfectly calm in the middle of the tempest? How tired do you feel right now? That’s a good gauge of how much anxiety you experienced yesterday.

          There’s nothing quite like the excess of an American Christmas. It’s rather like the scenes from medieval castle great halls, where the King and his men are gathered at table with their jugs of mead. Great platters heaped high with meat are set before them. The more they eat and drink, the rowdier they become. Sometimes that rowdiness veers towards jolly, sometimes towards snarly, and everyone who’s not part of the feast waits anxiously to see which it will be.

          Perhaps your family gathering does not fit this scenario, and if that’s so, I commend you. Please know how fortunate you are to have a “functional” family. I can tell you this: for the scenario to change from naughty to nice, everyone in the tableau must explore their own darkness. Until they do, this scene will repeat itself year after year, in an infinite loop of family Christmas reenactments.

          I truly hope that your Christmas was delightful and tinged with magic. I hope that everyone got along, and everyone came away feeling good about themselves and full of love for one another. I pray that the year ahead will be blessed with good health and great joy. May it be so. Amen.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane