On Christmas morning, the stockings wait: full of messages and meaning. These were the gifts of our season:
Pomegranates: As with Persephone in the realm of Hades, for abundance joined with the recognition that all seasons change. And with, come times of light and dark, plentitude and scarcity, ease and challenge. The deep red color, reminiscent of the blood of life and a tough outer skin that thickens with experience.
Chocolate: For the sweetness of living mindfully in the here and now, and the darkness of the soil that feeds us all. For triggering dopamine that causes our brains to light up with pleasure and all those practices that foster a healthy joy of mind. For richness in taste and the promise of prosperity glittering with the golden wrappers.
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Izzes: For fruity delight and essential water, the liquid of life. For bubbles of enthusiasm and buoyancy during times of trial. To drink in the sparkling of pleasure, and where each sip both satisfies and stokes a thirst for knowledge, wisdom and love.
Candy canes: For sweet surprises, twirling stripes on the surface and shiny red within. The peppermint is a reminder of the need for spice in our lives and the sharp succulence an affirmation of sensual pleasures. In each encounter, a reminder to taste and smell, to feel the stickiness of touch and the smoothness of melting surfaces.
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The stockings: Recycled year to year, to remind us of continuity and connection, of aging across time and reliving simple pleasures with younger generations. The stockings recall the fullness of our lives and the importance of grounding down into our feet. They help us stand strong on the earth, warming the foundations of life as we draw strength from our roots.
And, most precious of all, the glory of shared experience with family and friends. Of rejoicing in the pleasure of others and the blessings of generosity. This is a time for virtue and thanksgiving, of gratitude and humility. A preparation for setting the best of intentions to stretch into the new year, and a signal of a personal resolution to living in grace.
