Thanksgiving was quiet but delicious. I talked to my children. On Sunday, we zoomed with my siblings and spouses. It was nice to see everyone's face together on the screen. Thursday afternoon was warm enough for a brisk walk with my husband. As we say, we did the best we could to celebrate the day and remember our blessings.
Each month Honore' invites us to write about the word we chose for 2020. My word is "tender." On this first day of December, I turn toward Advent and Christmas. For me, the turmoil and losses of this long year do not suggest a season spent in search of constant merriment. Instead I am looking for a tender kind of holiday season. Call me the Grinch if you like.
Candles in various numbers and configurations symbolize the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Light, love, and hope are the heart of all of these celebrations. This year I am setting an intention to honor traditions of the spirit: kindness, peace, grace, comfort, and memory. I hope to extend and create tenderness. I plan to light a candle. I hope to enjoy a cup of tea, a warm kitchen, writing notes, reading a Christmas story over FaceTime, and eventually, sitting down with a piece of chocolate to wind a skein of yarn.
Onward into December. A NewYear and a new season is around the corner.
Candles and the light that comes from them are common to the winter holidays, Advent, Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Kwanza, and Hannukkah.
So as I settle into Advent to prepare for Christmas while others celebrate the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, and/or Hanukkah.
Holiday traditions create joy. I am thinking this year the traditions will be those of the spirit.
I am immersing myself quietly into Advent as well. It feels good to be purposefully quiet right now! Beautiful post, Jane!
ReplyDeleteYour tender words are soothing and reassuring to read. When my kids were in kindergarten their teachers tried to embrace all the winter holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, and Diwali, and taught the kids that one thing they all had in common was light. I'm also not looking for constant merriment, but rather a season of light in the darkness. May you find light with your candles and traditions of the spirit.
ReplyDeleteTender is such a wonderful word for this year - we all need more of it after 2020. I loved reading this post. It made me want to slow down, be kind, be intentional and be tender with myself and others. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. I hope you find opportunities to write about your experiences with Advent this year. I must confess that I don't know much about it, which is strange, I know. But I do like the idea of lighting candles.
ReplyDeleteWhile I feel it's important to embrace the joy of the holiday season (because I think it's more vital than ever that we find any joy we can this year), I agree that it also feels out of place to fully celebrate. We'll be having a quiet holiday season at home, with I'm sure some FaceTime and/or Zoom calls with family. This is the first year since my daughter was 1 that we'll be home for the end of year, so I've decided we need to embrace it -- play in the snow (if we get any), watch holiday movies while curled up under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate, bake things that make the house smell nice. It will be quiet, but I think it will be nice.
ReplyDeleteI love this approach to the season, tender and gentle - feels like what we all need
ReplyDeleteour thanksgiving was quiet and I enjoyed the simplicity of it all while missing the kids.
ReplyDeleteTender is a great word. Tender , tender is the night . ?The Boss ?
ReplyDeleteNo, Jackson Brown. Thats it! I think as the wise Grinch taught us years ago , Christmas will come, (It came without boxed and bows! and the who's down in whoville began to sing
A quiet and peace-filled holiday season seems Just Right for this year. I hope to follow in your footsteps, and find that kind of tender celebration for myself, too. XO
ReplyDeleteI think your tender December (sorry for that rhyme!) sounds lovely. Leaning into simple love and kindness sounds like balm for all our weary souls. Peace, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI love the thought of a tender holiday season .
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