Christmas Eve

It feels as if the world is in suspended animation. Most people and things have stopped working from now until January 2nd. There's a certain eagerness in the air. Of course there are all those last minute shoppers, running around like crazy trying to find anything that will do at Walgreens. I must admit, even I had the nimbleness left in my fingers to order a book on Amazon.com, to be delivered after Christmas. Which is fine between two sisters-in-love, one a high priestess and the other a wannabe Buddhist. It is a parable for children on the Eckhart Tolle philosophy about "The Power of Now." It tells a child to look at his cat, and learn about healing and love and living in the moment even though this child is being bullied at school. It is really a profound lesson.

My sweet husband always works for the Christian doctors on this holiest of holidays. My son has his band/family, plus a very sweet girlfriend, and they are always together. And my daughter, the Jewish bride, has been enfolded into her husband's family Christmas. Last night I helped to celebrate the season with her new family and their friends. It was a lovely party, everyone in red and green tartan and satin. I delivered presents to the adult children and chocolate truffles to the new in-law hosts, chopped up pineapple and pears for dessert fondue, and walked on a trail with the newlyweds and their dogs while my new son-in-law talked with his elder father-in-law about his future. He is a hot commodity and has already been asked to interview at one of the top-rated hospitals in his field for a fellowship. A place so far out west...

Today The Couple will go to church, tomorrow they will open their gifts under a tree.

The past is done, the future we have little control over. Today is really all we have. Being mindful, meditating, knitting, practicing compassion, these are things I will aspire to in the new year. Maybe even writing more of my book, about my Mother and the House. While everyone else rejoices in the birth of a child many centuries ago, today I had to reboot my computer. It was telling me it was locked. Very much like a mind that is locked in the past (insert any name you might think of here) or a mind that is focused on the future (ditto). And now I think I will clean my desk.