The Ghost of Christmas Presence

Well it's official. So far three Santa Claus parades have come and gone in the last two weeks. I say three including the fabulous and famous Macy's parade which is really Thanksgiving weekend but it seems to be the kickoff for the season in New York.

One of my all time favourite Christmas movies is the old version of A Christmas Carol. The black and white version with scratchy film and great scenery. Old Ebenezer Scrooge being visited by those three spirits of the season, past, present and future. I just love it! That's my kick off to Christmas Eve. When my kids were little and my husband was working at the firehall on Christmas eve I'd tuck the kids in, one last time, and then settle in to wrap presents and soak up the tree lights, always putting Scrooge in the vcr, (that was a long time ago,) and settling in for a lovely evening of tape, paper and old stories.

Traditions...they come and they go and some stay forever. But that's not what I what I was thinking about at my walk to the lake this week.

I thought of the scene in A Christmas Carol when Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Christmas present...

Hmmm...the ghost of Christmas present. The ghost of present Christmas. Or is it the idea of Christmas presents? I mull ideas over in my head before they end up here..The ghost of Christmas Presence.

What does that mean? Christmas Presence? Well, my persepctive only, Christmas Presence, like any other day, is about being present to the moments as they pass...being present to the feelings, the emotions, the people, the sharing of life.

It's about being heard and hearing other people on a deeper level. You know when you are speaking to somebody but your mind is somewhere else...maybe you have a sick child/parent/friend at home and you're worried about them: maybe you don't know what to make for the next meal, or maybe you don't know where the money for the next meal will come from....That's all stuff that can really distract a person from being present to the moments as they happen.

As I'm writing this I'm thinking "geez if I were starving and didn't know if I had enough money for food I think I'd want to not be present to the moment either."

Fair enough...nobody said this stuff was easy, why do you think Scrooge was so petrified of being visited by the ghosts in the first place?

My own perspective on this season is that we live in a country where many, many people have much more than enough but they're really convinced to think, and seem to believe it to be true, that they need more "stuff", more presents, to make them happy. The retailers sure do like it! But is that really what any moment, any celebration, any tradition is about? Is it about the "stuff" or lack of "stuff" that you were given?

I have often heard people of influence say they appreciated the "lean years" of their younger lives because they knew that the most important thing that they had been given by a loved one was just that: LOVE....I'm going to say that again....LOVE. Being present to the feeling, to the open arms of being thankful, to the warmth of a compassionate hug and the touch of a beautiful smile....

That's my idea of Christmas Presence....Who I'm with, who I be when I'm with them, what we share together in our hearts...that's my Christmas Presence. That's the greatest gift I could ever get. That's what I wish for you.

My Christmas Presence to each and everyone of you this season is for you to be mindful, to be present, to feel the joy of love and the touch of a beautiful soul reaching out to spend time with you...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays my friends.

Much love,

Jan