Light and Wishes

 

This year, this crazy Everest of a year!

Out of all of it - 

the stroke, 

the sickness,

the faintings,

the heart surgery -

out of all this year, 

I have packed this jewel into my life suitcase:

Even in dark times, there is light.

    Maybe not a beacon, blazing with answers.

    Maybe not something you can grab onto or tangibly feel.

    Maybe not a voice that speaks that everything will be alright

      - because sometimes, it's not alright.

    Sometimes the rotten stuff still happens - 

      like war, and poverty, and cancer, and loss.   

But I have this for you, my friends...

Even in the dark times, there is light.

    Light of hope in something better. 

    Light of remembering shining moments already lived.

    Light of kindness and compassion in friends and strangers. 

    Light of faith.

For me, it is faith in Divine Arms 

that stooped down to walk in human skin

and faced trouble with love. 

in Divine Arms that are just there, like in these old words - 

 

                      "the eternal One is your hiding place, 

                       and underneath are the everlasting arms."

Even my darkest times this year, 

there was light.

Not blazing. But enough.

Even in my most scared, most vulnerable times,  

there was this awareness of not being alone.

Not anything tangible. But enough.

Everlasting Arms.

Here is my wish for you, friends.

I wish for you 

Thankfulness

in each of the sacred rites of the day - 

dishes, drop-offs,
broken pencils,
squabbles and stomps,

"stop wiping your face with pancake!" 

"don't squirt tomatoes on the ceiling!"
and writer's block,

and in all the great gulps,  too -

a happy home,

a healthy heart, 

life.

Love

like everlasting arms, 

Love that surrounds and lifts 

when you can't lift yourself.

 

Joy 

that goes down to your very roots and comes up laughing.

and Light. 

I wish you the deeps, my friends. 

Blissful Christmas!

Bright New Year!

Beautiful Life!