Honoring the sadness in the season of light

Tonight the kids had their school Christmas concert and they did a wonderful job.

After the concert children ran every which way finding family, racing off with friends and bee lining for the cookies. I saw a little guy crying, lost. He was a student I knew from volunteering and we made our way through the crowds to find a teacher who knew his mom. But as he held on to my hand and his eyes were so full of tears it reminded me of the moments of fear and sadness that can be present in times of celebration.

 Recently a dear neighbor of ours passed away. She was such a warm presence for us, she bought baby booties for each of the girls born at this house. As the children and I made cookies and wrote a card, we talked about how her husband must be feeling. They really wanted to know what could they do? I advised we needed to show kindness, offer to help and to pray for Grace in times we are confused about the purpose of loss.

This is a time of year for such joy. A time of year for the excitement of children and celebrating the mystery of our faith. It is also a poignant time of memories. A time to make sure we watch the crowds for those lost or lonely. A time to show compassion and generosity even when we are frantically busy. A time to reach out when we want to remain cozy in our own homes. I am grateful that little guy reminded me to take time to honor the sadness in this joyous time of year.

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