I finally, eventually my wife noted, got to the point in the holiday festivities where I read the Christmas cards we received (and exchanged) with others. I'm very proud of myself--some years I've failed to do this entirely and my wife has spent until close to Presidents Day glaring at me (I always blame Washington and she always blames me so we're even).
I used to get angry at the Christmas season, not at the Savior (I'm crazy; not stupid) and smelled hypocrisy in every greeting card, fruitcake, and holiday cookie. After all, I reasoned (or thought I did) many of these came from people who, the rest of the year would cross the street rather than say hello to me as we passed. But as I've rusted (not mellowed) I have started to see a kind gesture of remembrance as just that and have stopped answering with a (rude) gesture of my own.
It's not that life is too short, though I learned again this year, that is certainly the case--but because life is too important to not enjoy ALL of it, the hopes and the hype, the dreams, and the dread. All of those make our lives singular and remarkable within our families, our places of work, our neighborhoods, our cities and towns, and these United States (with my apologies to Our Town).
The trials and travails of 2019 will be here in a matter of hours, and in some spots on this orb, that year has already begun, so forgive me if I encourage you to linger for a moment in the Here and Now, not to look at where we were this time last year and where we are today, but to simply celebrate today and tonight for what it is and we are.
After all, it's the same procedure as every year, James. Hurrah! Wir leben noch!
-bill kenny
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