The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love

Dear Friends,

The spirit of Christmas is here. And for the moment, we are a kinder and gentler people! We want to spread love and good cheer to friends and family, business associates, neighbors, postal workers — they all make the list. Everybody seems a bit more lovable when we feel the spirit of Christmas.

Nobody’s in that last-minute panic mode yet, desperately looking for the perfect gift (or any gift at all, as long as it’s pre-wrapped). The commercialism hasn’t peaked yet. And our calendars still have open spaces. Nothing has tainted the spirit.

I came home today delighted with my shopping finds, still excited about what I have left to buy. I’ve set aside time to wrap my gifts and watch my favorite holiday movies. And, I’ll do my best not to get caught up in the busyness or that drive to buy more, thinking I don’t have quite enough to give.

That’s a familiar sentiment. The season is a lot like life. And the spirit of the season is really the spirit of love … and it outlasts the holiday tinsel and lights. We can choose — every day, all year — to see what’s good in our neighbors. We can give gifts and receive gifts. We can choose to filter out the impurities that might taint our love. And we can leave open spaces in our calendars for whatever it is that allows us to really feel what is sacred. We can focus on what we have to give. We can realize that it is enough … and that if we are to get more, we must give what we have.

And, we can have the quiet assurance that when we join hearts — or connect our love — it makes a difference in the air, a difference we can all feel.

May the love that is Christmas shine ever bright in you — in every season.

Love, from my heart to yours,
Jan