'Tis the Season

Yesterday I started off with a sort of devotional, exploring a little of what I hold to be the essence of Advent and Christmas. Why I find it to be soul-nourishing, and how I find earth-shaking glory in things like Christmas Spirit. It's the "true myth", the One True Story being told over and over in every story that we read and live. If every genuine good comes from above, then it is possible to see the will of God in chocolate cake, and the kindling of hope in a bone-crushing hug. I learned this first in nature, and then explored it through writers like C.S. Lewis, and experienced it in my own relationship with God. You can see the death and resurrection cycle in the life of a dandelion, hear the story of the gospel in every book on my shelves, feel an ache of longing for a world beyond this world, a kingdom beyond this country, in every poignant beauty, in every 'almost', in loss, in hope, in optimism. In every moment you wish could last forever, or hunger you long to be satisfied.

I won't spend the whole of this month philosophizing, I promise. But I love this turn of season. It used to be the autumn that woke in me an annual yearning to study and expound, to explore and analyze. Perhaps its the city, or the busyness of work at the beginning of the school year that hasn't enabled me to quite catch my breath enough to revel in nature's wonders, or philosophize, or write poetry like I used to. At least not as regularly or as seasonally. And I won't forget that this year has been a hell of one.

But with the first October snows, my eyes start to twinkle in anticipation. I start to watch for ice on the sloughs, and feel a rising expectancy. As rosy sunrises transform the early November skies, and slate-grey afternoons follow, inspiration stirs. When they light the trees in downtown St Paul, I let go one long sigh. It is as if certain seasons and qualities of light leave me primed to write, as others do not. Now, when I hear a conversation, or an audiobook, or a sermon, sometimes my mind will just fasten on to a topic and worry away at it until I can put pen to paper. Welcome to my online aerie! That's what I do here.

Onward, then! Let's decorate for Christmas. I got the chance to spend time with my sister's family over the weekend: a very rare treat in this tumultuous year. But oh so good for the heart! Is there anything better than children who will run across a whole room just to hug you? 

And one of the joys of this visit was being able to help them put up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. I'd made a haul of second-hand decor and festive paraphernalia (shout out to Hidden Treasures thrift store in St. Anthony) and was all set to deck the halls in great style. 

It was a relaxing weekend of decorating, straightening, baking; leftover Thanksgiving food, passing on outgrown clothes, and watching and reading Hugo, for all sweet steampunk adventurous coziness. I gave Katie one of those fillable Advent Calendars, that I've been filling with small happy treasures over the last weeks. We put together the advent wreath so that it was ready to be lit yesterday. We found festive sparkly bits to adorn bedrooms and bookshelves. The tree is ready for the wrapped presents as they come.

And on my way out of town, I swung through the Christmas-light-show. Programmed to blink to the beat of the local Christmas station songs, it is a feast of cheer, lights, and abundance of color. It works so well, too, staying warm and mobile and socially distanced during a thoroughly seasonal experience.