KS&L 334 Holiday Cards by Tina Erwin

         It is hard to believe that the Christmas holidays are here again.  The Jewish Festival of Lights has also begun.  While there are lots of faiths not represented in this title, this is the month of special celebrations for these two faiths.

          There are many concepts of loving and sharing that symbolize this time, maybe the best symbol is just love.  While pondering the concept of love, perhaps we should consider why people send out holiday cards.  Why do some people send a card with a printed address and signature?  Is it just routine, another chore to send cards or to give a gift or gift card?  Perhaps it is not.  To be on a card or holiday gift list is to be thought of with a special feeling.  Maybe we do not send cards to people we see each day which is OK. We send cards to people in our lives that we do not see, because something about the connection is special and we do not want to break it.  Maybe the karma is not yet exhausted and we keep it going with our cards and often e-mails.

          Creating a card for someone, perpetuates a connection, letting him or her them know that they are still in our thoughts.  Why is this important? It is important because there is a part of us that wants to stay connected to so many wonderful people. This is why from a Feng Shui view, saving those cards, saving all of those tremendous wishes is saving, honoring the intentions of all the people who spent the cost, the time, the effort and the intention of sending something to us, of thinking of us. Perhaps we have wondered why we bother with cards each year. Maybe, we need that connection, maybe we need to now what things are happening in other people’s lives, that there is a lot of life going on all over the place.

          Holiday newsletters seem irritating to some people, but again, someone reflected on their year. They shared their lives with us. Some newsletters are just perfect. Some reflect the challenges that this year posed including the death of a family member and the impact of fires or floods or tornados. Most people reflect on the milestones of their year, their travels - how they explored life this year - and how they interacted with family and friends. When we read these letters, we see life happening all around us, from the ordinary and the mundane to the electric moments that challenge us.

         So perhaps as we reflect on all the festivities and organization required of the holiday time, we can come to understand that creating a holiday atmosphere free from strife, comfortable, beautiful with cards, food and gifts is a great service, not a chore. Love comes in many forms and all the effort we put into giving of our time and effort really does matter in the most subtle and humble ways. Often the effort alone is a gift - the gift of love we give each other. Happy Holidays everyone!