Merry Christmas From The Left Coaster

by paradox

Steve, Mary, I and all the writers here wish you the very merriest of a Christmas season, hoping that whatever destination awaits you peace and friendship be your companions upon arrival.

Christmas, of course, can be a complicated time, a relentless wave of commercialism squishing forced familial circumstances and ceaseless reminders to be merry in a furious scurry to be in it all. Personally I am learning to make an attempt at everything and accept that at least half it may not make it to the baby Jesus nirvana threshold, that’s all right, at least I tried. Celebrating Christmas is still a relatively fresh phenomenon in my life and as I bring in the tree, place the lights on the house, shop, bake, and cook I eventually realized I don’t have to be some superman about it, no one could be.

Also, too, for too many of us Christmas can be a black pit of pain for something missing, a precious element of life forever lost that cannot be replaced. I do not know if it will ever be all right, and I am sorry. I hope the presence of your people and the gifts bestowed upon you bring as much light and love into your Christmas as possible, that somehow time and grace ease your burdens as each Christmas passes.

[sigh] There’s something about Christmas that can make everything so heavy, you know? Thanksgiving is a pigout and New Year’s a party, but Christmas is so twisted up in all this stuff that could be and should be. I have, regrettably, been all over the emotional map in my history of Christmas, but I can say that at least this year a little grace has wandered by and I’m sort of okay this festivimus season. Not ever on some plane of super festive celebration about it all, but I’m all right.

[small smile] One of my people, Mark from the Navy, was fond of flicking at me a quote from the legendary Tom Robbins of Jitterbug Perfume fame, “erleichda:” Lighten Up! All right, dude, I will remember, my brother, I will indeed.

Merry Christmas! Safe travels, eh? Please have a wonderful time and with as much as feasting, gifts, light, love and peace with your people as possible, yes, all of us at The Left Coaster wish that very much.