Letting Our Traditions Shine!

There are years that I have not had the time or even felt like sending out Christmas cards. So I didn't. This left a lot of friends from years past wondering about me and our family. But maybe that is what I wanted….people to wonder. To care. Which begs the question about caring for each other. About friendship. Long term relationships. And about the state of our hearts during Christmas, the time which brings great joy to Christians as it heralds the birth of the Christ child.

Where was Christ during this time when I did not want to "connect?" What happened to my heart?  Where was the passion for faith, friends, and family? While this was happening I began to focus on my surroundings. I started baking foods with smells and tastes of the season. To decorate or create warmth around me. To use color in as many ways as possible. To explore new avenues of home-making that I had long forgotten or find new ways to celebrate life.

Some interesting things began to happen! By focusing on seasonal, and one-time family traditions and using that as a springboard for creativity, my heart and home began to absorb and reflect the energy expended in this process! Healing. Warmth. Color. Cooking. Creating. Focus. Faith takes it's own time in reinventing the nature of its journey.

As I write this, I think of the time that has passed in learning this particular story of life. There is a gift in the darkness of faith. The gift of learning what can console or warm our hearts and that it takes both: the darkness and the "light" in order for us to value that which means the most to us. That is what Christmas is really about for Christians. Valuing the gift of the heart, of Jesus Christ. Sharing that with friends and family reminds us of the love that binds our hearts in community. Of tradition. Of family. And that "shining our tradtions" is more about polishing pieces and "patterns"  that are often forgotten but are part of the family legacy.

Blessings for Heart and Home Health,

Janine

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