As this day, this Christmas Eve dawns, I pray you find yourself able to enjoy the gatherings, and anticipate the celebration of birth of Jesus with the wonder of a child, with the joy of the shepherds, and heart of a seeker like the wise men who traveled from their faraway lands to meet Jesus.

In the season of life where I find myself, I have a bittersweet acknowledgment of those who are missing in our gatherings. The sadness is not as raw as it once was. The traditions of my childhood have changed through the years; we don’t attend a candlelight service at 11:00 pm that ends at midnight. Those were the traditions of my grandparents that we celebrated while they were living. A shift from a liturgical church to a non-traditional, non-denominational church left those candlelit services behind. True confession: I miss those hymns and choirs and candles.

Photo by Dan Novac on Unsplash

Yet Christmas comes in whether it’s celebrated by choirs or quiet; with candles or light bulbs. It reminds me of one of my favorite books and Christmas TV specials.

It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.

As you reflect on your holiday preparations, your time with family, I hope you remind yourself that living things grow and growing things change. Allow room for sad or bittersweet feelings; hiding them away doesn’t make room for the healing that comes through feeling them in the moment. Of course, make room for laughter as well. Perhaps make a new silliness tradition with little people in your life. Most of all, simply be.

Action step: enjoy your friends & family time. Pay attention to what is stirring inside you today and tomorrow. As always, I invite your comments and interactions. You’re doing hard work!