Christmas Vibes 2022

Dear friends:

On the last day of school before the break, I stepped out of the Art 10 class for just a couple of moments. When I returned there was a whole other class in the room in addition to the junior artists. The guitar class popped in. The kids squished in between desks with their guitars and sheet music and the instructors had their horns. It felt a tiny bit like a Christmas subway buskers experience extraordinaire. The room was full of bodies and music and spirit. I couldn’t stop smiling. They played Feliz Navidad. The kids sang along. Smiled along. Swayed along.

There is something about live musical vibration that is so much fuller than listening to a digital rendition. It may even be the combination of live music and happy humans. This little musical number was the perfect reminder—that I now love Christmas time.

Miracles

Marianne Williamson says that a miracle (or maybe it was the Course in Miracles—she just passed on the information) is a shift in perception. She (it) is one hundred percent correct. That is the basic and magical miracle—shifting one’s perception.

My magical shift in perception

I used to step into the holiday season begrudgingly.

I’m done with that shit.

This year I looked forward to figuring out gifts mostly for the little ones in my life. I looked forward to decorating my house. I enjoyed baking and look forward to giving the treats away. I ooh and ahh over decorated yards in the early morning dark walking to work and the early evening dark walking back. I love my fireplace. I find myself saying with a busy social schedule “what a beautiful problem to have too many people who want to spend time together.” I play Christmas carols—on purpose—and listen to them while I make supper. I look forward to squeezing in all the time I can with family and friends. I love dozing off on the couch, looking at the Christmas lights. I love the cards that have come in the mail.

These feelings are authentic. They are real. I have changed my mind. Wayne Dyer said, “When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.” Another truth.

Leaning into the light that is this season wasn’t a simple flip of a switch. It was a slow dial. That’s what I needed. I needed to let all this magic simmer, like that delicious apple cider on the stove.

I hope you also have some Christmas miracles. Whether they are big or small, loud or quiet, simple or complex, social or solitary, may they fill your heart the same way that the sweet amateur band filled the classroom with song and smiles and postitive vibes.

Merry Christmas to you this magical season.

As always, thank you for reading lovelies.