The View from Here

  
I am running very late this year, but no matter – the time has come to get our Christmas cards written and mailed. Some think the tradition of handwritten cards is outdated, but to me it is an important task that helps me to get into the spirit of the holiday- and a way to stay connected with the people I care about. A Christmas hug via the U.S. Postal Service. The repetition in writing cards is meditative, and I find my Zen as I sit for hours working on them, singing along with Christmas tunes, the dogs at my feet. 

  
As I pulled out my old Christmas card address book and looked through it, my heart caught…several of the people listed were gone- Mom, the very first on the list. There were other names of those now gone- Dan’s mother, GG, Eleanor, my Jewish Mom, my oldest brother, Bud, my oldest sister, Sharon, two of my cherished teachers. Over the years since I started using this address book, some people had married, some had divorced, some had had children, others had moved. It seems that my address book not only holds contact information, but also reflects life in all its inherent messiness and glorious change. 

   
 I looked at the names listed and thought about each person and what they have meant to me over the years; family, friends old and new, teachers, colleagues, former students…a wonderful patchwork of personalities who have made my life better, happier. How lucky I am to know each of them. I sent up a prayer of gratitude,  stretched out my cramping hand, and continued to write…better late than never- and thankfully, there is no timeline on love. 

Wishing you every joy of the season and a New Year full of love and laughter.