‘Tis the Season
When I was a boy, I was always so excited about Christmas and the thought of what it represented. My parents always bought a live tree to put in our living room and adorned it with electric light bulbs and tinsel. I was fascinated by how beautiful this tree looked, and I felt a kind of a special warmth flowing through my parents for this time of year.
That was my upbringing and celebrating Christmas was just something I always looked forward to all year long, beyond the presents, but looking at the happy faces of people opening their gifts and celebrating family and loved ones.
I realize these days that there are many cultures that have ways of celebrating this time of year in their own special way according to that culture. I think in recent years some of the essence of the celebration became confused when one culture wanted to express itself a little more powerfully than another and then we had all been asked to be much more accommodating of all the many cultures. But this was often at the expense of my own culture.
So now when I celebrate this time of year I say “Merry Christmas" to mean my celebration of this time of year of embracing and sharing the warmth and the love of family and loved ones. To me, this is a very special time of year where that power of love within me is amplified and I feel this intense sense to give love so freely and yes many times in the form of physical gifts.
One other thing you should know about me is that I still love to send out Christmas cards. Yes, Christmas cards. To me, it represents physically taking the time to write my feelings in a card and then taking the time to address it and put a stamp on it and mail it. It's a concretized and physical way of showing my love.
I think if we look back at the essence of what this time of year represents is related to the winter solstice, the time when the sun is at its further most point in the southern hemisphere and is getting ready to start making its northward journey indicating the increasing amount of light in the northern hemisphere. Many cultural beliefs are surrounding the essence of what that means in terms of renewal, regeneration the coming forth of the Christed one (not a person, but an essence of internal spiritual growth).
So many cultures have held very strong beliefs that is precious and sacred and what this time of year represents. So let us look beyond the glitz, of the glamour, the flash and sizzle of the fancy lights and the presents, and go much deeper into the essence of what this time of year represents to all of us.
Let yourself remember and call forth the power of love that flows through you that binds together the beauty of a family, of loved ones, of sharing and caring. The power of love that you have within yourself is limitless, unending and ever present if you but call it forth. Look into what this season really represents and be the essence of that which love itself is.
Blessings,
Richard Jelusich, Ph.D.
Home of Integrative Chakra Therapy®
