Well, another week is here and I have been staring at a blank notepad for too long this week. Funny enough, normally I would never have a hard time finding a conversation to dive into, but with Christmas looking like a campfire on the horizon during what has been a rather dark night, I cannot help but think that disturbing the nowadays-rare peace is rather unwise during this time of rest and relaxation.
I could talk about my concern of politics trumping family time, but that alone would cause an unnecessary distraction to those who merely want to get warm by the campfire. Today is not a day about drudging up the horrors of humanity, but rather a day to collectively celebrate that we have made it to the end of 2021 battered and bruised, but with breath in our lungs. It should be a time of celebration and remembrance for those who were not so fortunate to share our fate.
“Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.”
– Charles Dickens
There is something special about the holidays, whether you celebrate them or not. It is still a feeling in the air of joy and laughter that can cut through any tension.
In the first World War during some of the darkest conflicts imaginable, soldiers along both sides of the Western Front came together for a brief moment to celebrate. French, British, and German soldiers put down their morality-tainted weapons and joined each other in celebration. Sharing food and souvenirs. Bartering with each other for cigarettes and other supplies after a five-month struggle to kill each other. During even the darkest moments, the idea of Christmas cut through all the tension.
Now of course that peace did not last long, shortly afterward the war continued, but many soldiers on both sides of the war attempted ceasefires up and down the Western Front. That moment of peace may have prevented thousands of lives from being needlessly lost to a murky conflict, to say the least.
This year there are too many families I know, that will not be visiting each other over political or cultural differences, and it honestly breaks my heart. I suppose I have a hard time understanding it because my family has always been very open about our values and beliefs, even when they don’t always line up. Being who I am, I look forward to the moments to gather with my family and talk about the events of the year, and what they mean for the future. I undoubtedly understand that not all families are like mine. Willing to dive into taboo subjects with a pursuit of either laughter or understanding. Which I view as a rather healthy thing. Even when it leads to a few raised voices over dinner.
For those who say they don’t want to celebrate Christmas this year, or that they have never been less “Christmassy” in their lives, don’t give up now. Even if Yuletide joy is not for you, I implore you to find close family and friends that share your core values. Spend much-needed time with them and recognize the fortune we are all currently presented with. Use this moment to take a deep breath and cherish those around you.
Take a moment to rest,
We all earned it
“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home. “
-Charles Dickens
Thank you for reading,
-The Young Fool
