Tis the Season

     Tis the season to get overwhelmed!  That's what I say.  Or maybe that's just a good excuse for not posting to my blog in nearly a month.  Truth be told, I've been overwhelmed with much joy, in addition to the usual holiday stress. 
     Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday when you've spent nearly forty years celebrating with lots of family and now it's just three around the table.  It's not that I'm not grateful.  I'm especially grateful that there are three of us to spend the holiday weekend together.  I'm grateful for the years of memories - Thanksgiving past.  I'm grateful to be healthy and able to make new memories.  But I'm also melancholy.  That's just the way it is.
     And now Christmas is nearing, with the solstice and other seasonal celebrations in between.  More to be grateful for.  More joy amid the chaos.  More opportunity to give to others.  Many of us give and receive many gifts at this time of year.  It starts with the gift of autumn and harvest and goes right into the new year.  Gifts of color in the leaves and landscape that delight our eyes.  Gifts of sweet and savory that delight our tongues and tummies.  Gifts of warmth that delight our chilled bones.  Gifts of harmonies that delight our ears.  Gifts that are exchanged, returned, re-gifted, and gifts that tickle our funny bone.  But the best gifts that we can receive and give are those that have no weight at all. 
     Here are the words about such gifts that have inspired my heart, from Richard Gilbert:
Gifts that matter have no weight. 
They are without substance.
Gifts that matter most are given to us by the Hand of Life in grace:
Moonlight on fresh-fallen snow,
Frost delicately etched on a window pane,
crackling fireside, bright because of who is there,
aromas of cooked food betokening a family feast,
reunion of those long separated,
memories of holidays past, gone but not forgotten,
anticipations of the new year yet to be,
gift-givers whom we love,
the gift of life itself.
Gifts that matter have no weight.

May each of us find joy in this season; giving and receiving gifts that have no weight!