Merry Christmas!
For anyone who stops by, hope you're having a Merry Christmas! Just got back from lunch with mom, stepdad, and grandmother on mom's side. Went to a place in Vancouver called "Peach Tree Inn" or something along those lines. Kinda like a Denny's. One of those places that's open on Christmas day, cooking for those of us who are too lazy to cook for ourselves. It was good.
Last night I spent Christmas Eve with dad and stepmom. We drove over to the Grotto and saw their Festival of Lights. Kinda like a Catholic-themed Enchanted Forest, from the way it was decorated. A bit garish, but it was nice overall. In spite of the pouring rain at the time. We bought a candle...one of those extra large candles in the red jar that has some religious themed decorations molded into the glass, and we set it up in one of the shrines there and lit it in memory of Grandma Bright. The first Christmas without getting a card or any of her home made cookies and fudge was a bit depressing, so it felt good to do that for her.
I'm not Catholic...was raised more of a Presbyterian and I've lapsed along those lines. More of a Panentheist now than anything else. Christmas does still have a lot of meaning for me, though having worked in retail killed a lot of the old enthusiasm. Spiritually, I look at the broader symbolism of it...the idea that in the darkest time of year God sends part of himself into the world to bring light and hope that the darkness won't last forever. That part of him is eventually sacrificed to renew the Earth, bringing the dead world back to life, taking the world from winter into spring, starting that cycle of life, death, and rebirth all over again. The Dying God theme is pretty common in mythologies around the world, so I think there's definitely something true about it, even if people argue over the fine details of it. Light out of darkness, the promise that new life will emerge out of death. The cosmic wheel is given another spin for another year. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate a message like that.
So Merry Christmas!
Last night I spent Christmas Eve with dad and stepmom. We drove over to the Grotto and saw their Festival of Lights. Kinda like a Catholic-themed Enchanted Forest, from the way it was decorated. A bit garish, but it was nice overall. In spite of the pouring rain at the time. We bought a candle...one of those extra large candles in the red jar that has some religious themed decorations molded into the glass, and we set it up in one of the shrines there and lit it in memory of Grandma Bright. The first Christmas without getting a card or any of her home made cookies and fudge was a bit depressing, so it felt good to do that for her.
I'm not Catholic...was raised more of a Presbyterian and I've lapsed along those lines. More of a Panentheist now than anything else. Christmas does still have a lot of meaning for me, though having worked in retail killed a lot of the old enthusiasm. Spiritually, I look at the broader symbolism of it...the idea that in the darkest time of year God sends part of himself into the world to bring light and hope that the darkness won't last forever. That part of him is eventually sacrificed to renew the Earth, bringing the dead world back to life, taking the world from winter into spring, starting that cycle of life, death, and rebirth all over again. The Dying God theme is pretty common in mythologies around the world, so I think there's definitely something true about it, even if people argue over the fine details of it. Light out of darkness, the promise that new life will emerge out of death. The cosmic wheel is given another spin for another year. You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate a message like that.
So Merry Christmas!