Each time I find the juice to enjoy something, no matter what it is, this is magnetic. This is the true fuel life runs on. Each time I smile and enjoy something, small or large, rational or irrational, laughing at rain or a blocked driveway or a bouquet unexpected- all of these offer gifts of equal proportion. Discovering that richness in myself, to create pleasure at the strangest outcome, leads me further down the road to joy than I might ever have expected.
It is no wonder that the compassionate mind is open to feeling so many things- feeling sadness and joy and love and freedom. These are all joyous acceptance of the true nature of life. That the journey is the destination all along. That the yellow brick road was the point of the whole story. That life’s gifts are also life troubles. That everything we have is precious because it is impermanent and fleeting, like a beautiful flower, blossoming and fading in a flash and thus as brilliant as a firework when we see truly, all life is as short and small and delicate.
Glass artists sometimes joke to each other- “Glass breaks- that’s why you have a job.” The actual value of a stunning glass artwork is that yes glass breaks. Its fragility is part of its beauty. We value it and set it in a case because it’s delicate.
All of life, every Amazon package, every commercial on TV, every honking horn in traffic, every sale poster, these are all signposts of our country’s prosperity. It is phenomenal how blessed we are. Each experience is fleeting, vanishing before our eyes to be replaced with another. If the pressure is too high, we might be overwhelmed and bitter with this saccharine ritual. The demands seem hollow and fake. We might blame commercialism and witness the sad cheapening of this beautiful time into a flash sale and greedy grab for more of everything. More glitter, more lights, more stuff, more wrapping paper, all to be torn down on January one like it is meaningless.
In this smorgasbord of life around us, we can chose to shop and enjoy the ritual or chose to stay home and shop online and appreciate this luxurious freedom. No matter what we chose, it will be over in a flash, and February will be here like the winter wasteland of proverb.
Our holiday enjoyment and our life is a story we write with exactly the details we authored. So it’s worth it. It’s worth it to awaken and discover I created my own hollow feeling. It’s worth it to discover there are stories I want to write, this holiday, to turn it into the holiday I once enjoyed so much. So have a juicy holiday! Fill it with all the things you love the most. Your traditions, even if this is the first year you create one, are ripe with your personal meaning. Rise up and share time with others and discover how much you can make a difference, and how others make a difference for you. Listen to an elder tell their story again. Listen to nature whispering comfort to you in the wind. Open a new chapter in your life today