Slow and Snow-Filled Contemplations

It’s not getting finished.

All of the pre-Christmas gift-shipping and card-sending, that is.  Unexpected developments last week inhibited that. But, it’s okay. I didn’t even get all of the Christmas lights up in our apartment this year. But, that’s okay, too. I’m enjoying a relatively low-stress few days preceding this beautiful Christmas holiday, enjoying the last week of Advent, listening to Enya, and even finding myself thinking that the snow with the Christmas lights is…well, nice…in a nostalgic sort of way.

Now, for me to say that snow is nice might be indicative of me softening a bit in my (not-so) old age. Or, perhaps I’ve lived in the absence of significant snowfall for several years now, and am discovering what I thought least likely to be true: that I’m missing it. Or, perhaps I’m adapting mentally to an upcoming move that will be happening in a few months (couldn’t resist dropping that spoiler, but you’ll get no more from me until next year).

It’s okay that the material hustle and bustle won’t get finished. As much as I try to minimize it, it still seems to pervade this holy season in Western culture.  I don’t want to fixate on what isn’t important right now, because there’s so much that is important as we enter Christmas. The atmosphere set by the lights and trees and music and…well, yes, even the snow…is making me slow down, and remember that, as Julian of Norwich said, “…all manner of thing shall be well.” Despite personal difficulties, and perpetual war, and economic and social injustices, and any number of dangers that might befall us as move forward in our journeys, there is a Providential optimism that I see so pervasively in the Christmas season. The optimism that is brought about by the inaugural wish of what we celebrate, which was “…on earth peace, good will toward men.” I have all faith that this will, in fact, come to pass. And so, with that faith, I am not stressful, but optimistic, even if guardedly so.

And, with that faith, I wish you all a most blessed Christmas.

Photo is copyrighted by my friend and fellow-blogger Austin Lee Barron, and used by permission. Check out her work on Flickr!