Halfway Out

"On every world, wherever people are, in the deepest part of the winter, at the exact midpoint, everybody stops, and turns, and hugs, as if to say 'Well done. Well done, everyone! We're halfway out of the dark.'" - Dr. Who: "A Christmas Carol" 

The magic of Christmas is that for people all over the Northern Hemisphere, one of the darkest and coldest days of the year is turned into a celebration of light and generosity.  How did we do that?  It's a marvelous trick.  We decorate with lights and candles and good-smelling greenery, give to the poor and each other, eat fantastic food together, sing at the top of our lungs, and make a glorious day out of the darkness and the cold.

This is all heightened by having a child.  Maeve is not old enough to anticipate Christmas, but she is enjoying it nonetheless, and Daddy and I are anticipating her Christmas morning when she finds the play kitchen we found at the flea market and lovingly spruced up for her.  She's a toddler, and she'll be sleepy, so I'm not betting her face will exactly light up, but she will be very happy, I think.

Can you tell I am a big fan of Christmas?  I love a holiday that celebrates the triumph of the Light over the Dark, of kindness and generosity over hermitage and hoarding.  So enjoy the day, my friends and fellow parents, enjoy it in spite of, or because of being woken before dawn by excited children or your own giggly inner child.  Light a candle, light up your house with LED lights, and remember that we are halfway out of the dark.

                                                It's Cooooold!