holidays

Holidays are here. For many, it's been a long several weeks. Lots of students are gleefully anticipating their return to school. Many adults can't wait for the holiday cheer to slip off into the distance. Temporary housemate knows this story; sweetie knows this story; I know this story. Reclaiming the holidays is a combination of resistance and engagement--finding ways to make the seemingly unreasonable and illogical rules make sense or begone, one or the other. For some people, holiday resistance is an extension of religion resistance. For some people, religion tells them to resist the holiday. The struggle to fit religion to the most common celebrative traditions is a major issue in religious circles.

I believe this: if we can celebrate the return of the sun; if we can celebrate sharing and generosity and kindness; if we can celebrate love beyond measure and the miracle of each person's life; if we can lift up stories of people who could be any of us becoming prophets; if we can lift up the wise and the sacred in each person...then we have remembered the spirit of the season.