The 2nd Day of Christmas and a Personal Note
Merry Christmas!
Yes, it's still Christmas - today, the 2nd Day of Christmas. Most of the world still "shows" Christmas, but already we see the diminishment of the hoopla that began before Thanksgiving. First sign: no more 24/7 Christmas music. Radio stations that played only Christmas music stopped doing so at midnight Christmas Day.
For those of us who tried to keep Advent in the appropriate penitential spirit of the Season, Christmas has just begun. There's no diminishment. If you're feeling some sort of "post-Christmas" letdown, gather yourself together and remember: It's the 2nd day of Christmas.
Going to work today? Many of us aren't. Many businesses slow down this time of year. I understand that in some European countries, even as so many Europeans have abandoned Christianity, there's still a Christmas observance of closing down the shop for a number of days after Christmas. Here in the USA, business never stops, of course. The way most of us deal with this is we save up vacation days and use them around Christmas. I used to to do that every year: use my vacation time to get an extended break for the Christmas Season at least until New Year's.
Now that I run a small business, it's not so cut and dried. The "shop" stays open. Our business doesn't just disappear between Christmas and New Year's. But "the boss" (me) does take time off. Those items that must be attended to are. If clients need me, they can get in touch. But that's rare. Heck, most of them are trying to take time off too!
So on this 2nd Day of Christmas, the work flow has slowed to a dribble.
A Personal Note:
Those who've peeked at these posts over the past year or so may remember that towards the end of 2018 our oldest child, a son, suffered a massive stroke. He died on January 2nd, 2019. As you might imagine, Advent and now the Christmas Season have taken us back to those days of his lying in ICU in a medically induced coma, our days spent with him there. It's been a difficult time.
For months I anticipated this first anniversary of our son's sickness and death. A friend shared his experience of the first anniversary of his younger brother's death, who died in his 30s, as did our son. It got to the point where a kind of dread of Christmas almost undermined any observance of Advent, never mind the joy that comes with Christmas. But it didn't.
Despite the sorrow, the pain and suffering that has accompanied us during Advent and now during Christmas, even as our thoughts and memories recall those terrible days last year, Christmas has come and it has brought it's joy. The experience of sorrow mixed with joy brings a new understanding and appreciation of just what Christmas joy really means. It's allowed me to rejoice even under the mantle of what I've labeled the "Great Sadness" that has hovered over us since our son's death.
My wife reminded our family of what "rejoice" means on Gaudete Sunday - the 3rd Sunday of Advent. That Sunday we were called to "Rejoice" with the first word of the Introit in the Mass for the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Rejoice in what sense? Rejoice in the Lord. As she so pointedly explained, it's got nothing to do with "Don't worry, be happy!".
And so I've learned to rejoice in the Lord. I've put my heavy heart in His loving Hands. Has it taken away the sadness, the pain, the suffering? No. But it has cleared out a space for the joy that appropriately fills our hearts every year at Christmas.
I hope that joy has filled your heart as well.
Yes, it's still Christmas - today, the 2nd Day of Christmas. Most of the world still "shows" Christmas, but already we see the diminishment of the hoopla that began before Thanksgiving. First sign: no more 24/7 Christmas music. Radio stations that played only Christmas music stopped doing so at midnight Christmas Day.
For those of us who tried to keep Advent in the appropriate penitential spirit of the Season, Christmas has just begun. There's no diminishment. If you're feeling some sort of "post-Christmas" letdown, gather yourself together and remember: It's the 2nd day of Christmas.
Going to work today? Many of us aren't. Many businesses slow down this time of year. I understand that in some European countries, even as so many Europeans have abandoned Christianity, there's still a Christmas observance of closing down the shop for a number of days after Christmas. Here in the USA, business never stops, of course. The way most of us deal with this is we save up vacation days and use them around Christmas. I used to to do that every year: use my vacation time to get an extended break for the Christmas Season at least until New Year's.
Now that I run a small business, it's not so cut and dried. The "shop" stays open. Our business doesn't just disappear between Christmas and New Year's. But "the boss" (me) does take time off. Those items that must be attended to are. If clients need me, they can get in touch. But that's rare. Heck, most of them are trying to take time off too!
So on this 2nd Day of Christmas, the work flow has slowed to a dribble.
A Personal Note:
Those who've peeked at these posts over the past year or so may remember that towards the end of 2018 our oldest child, a son, suffered a massive stroke. He died on January 2nd, 2019. As you might imagine, Advent and now the Christmas Season have taken us back to those days of his lying in ICU in a medically induced coma, our days spent with him there. It's been a difficult time.
For months I anticipated this first anniversary of our son's sickness and death. A friend shared his experience of the first anniversary of his younger brother's death, who died in his 30s, as did our son. It got to the point where a kind of dread of Christmas almost undermined any observance of Advent, never mind the joy that comes with Christmas. But it didn't.
Despite the sorrow, the pain and suffering that has accompanied us during Advent and now during Christmas, even as our thoughts and memories recall those terrible days last year, Christmas has come and it has brought it's joy. The experience of sorrow mixed with joy brings a new understanding and appreciation of just what Christmas joy really means. It's allowed me to rejoice even under the mantle of what I've labeled the "Great Sadness" that has hovered over us since our son's death.
My wife reminded our family of what "rejoice" means on Gaudete Sunday - the 3rd Sunday of Advent. That Sunday we were called to "Rejoice" with the first word of the Introit in the Mass for the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Rejoice in what sense? Rejoice in the Lord. As she so pointedly explained, it's got nothing to do with "Don't worry, be happy!".
And so I've learned to rejoice in the Lord. I've put my heavy heart in His loving Hands. Has it taken away the sadness, the pain, the suffering? No. But it has cleared out a space for the joy that appropriately fills our hearts every year at Christmas.
I hope that joy has filled your heart as well.
Merry Christmas!
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