Christmas Wishes

Yesterday was Monday (a day I normally post), but I got wrapped up in wrapping. Tomorrow is Wednesday, but it is Christmas. So, I'm splitting the difference and posting on Tuesday. Handel's Messiah is playing as I finally tackle the Christmas cookies that would have been less plentiful than usual this year were it not for my daughter's helping hands and enjoyment of baking.

It has been an interesting week. Things that I thought were certain were not, but the things I said good-bye to, though important to me, were insignificant. I watched friends absorb losses that would have been felt profoundly under any circumstances, but which cut even deeper because they happened a week before Christmas. Even in this season of hope and joy, prayers receive different replies than the ones we'd hoped for. Sometimes it is hard to keep the faith.

Yet we still hope. For that is the beauty of Christmas. We hope for healing for those who are hurting. We hope for health for those who are ailing. We hope for days ahead that are better than those we have left behind.

And that, my friends, is what I wish for you this Christmas -- not only a bright new year, but the vision that allows the good to rise to the surface even when it is hard to discern. For many of us, it's faith that helps us to see our blessings even in the midst of sadness, but for others, this discernment comes when we are surrounded by family and friends or engaged in cherished pursuits that allow us to lose ourselves in the joy that comes when the world falls away and only that which is important can be seen.

So, whatever it is that nurtures you -- family, friends, faith, fun -- I hope your season is full of it.

Merry Christmas. May it be filled with undisguised blessings.