"Christmas is
not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to
be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." Calvin
Coolidge
I stumbled upon this
quote a few weeks ago and loved the sentiment behind it
that the real spirit
of Christmas should be practiced all year long. This will be the last email I
send you in 2012 so I want to wish everyone peace, joy and goodwill, not just
during the holiday season, but everyday. I also want to take this opportunity
to thank all of you for your support during 2012. It has been an amazing year
at Body Grace and we have a lot to look forward to in 2013!
But I am also writing
this with a heavy heart; sorry if I’m not feeling too Christmas-y right
now. At a time when I should be
enjoying the lights and the festivities of the season, I feel saddened that we
are once again grieving the loss of innocent lives in another mass shooting
during a time that should be filled
with joy. Oh sure, I could vent my anger, putting blame here and
there, but I think there is enough of that going around, don’t you? What I needed was to find some light,
and I found it in a quote by Mister Rogers, a man who loved and respected
children with all his heart while he was here on earth, and who epitomizes the
Christmas spirit:
“When I was a boy
and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for
the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day,
especially in times of “disaster”, I remember my mother’s words and I am always
comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring
people in this world.”
Fred Rogers
I’m sure that during
the next several days I will continue to shed more tears and pray my little
heart out during my meditation time, but in the spirit of Christmas, I will
keep my eyes open for all those many caring people in the world who are
practicing peace, goodwill and mercy. There is a reason why there is a tree of
‘Love’ painted in the stairwell, because I believe in the end, love will
outshine evil and darkness.
Wishing you a season
of light and love,
Jan
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