Season's Greetings

[thessalian]

For the first time in I-dunno-how-long (possibly ever), I was the one getting woken up with a cheerful squeaking "Good morning! It's Christmas!", instead of the one doing the waking. Though to be fair, this was at the sensible hour of half-past ten rather than my usual seven-ish AM.

So there were scrambled eggs and mimosa (Buck's fizz, whatever) and unwrapping of the pressies. mitchy got me a new headset microphone! Looks like a pretty decent one too, so allow me to quietly squee over here and start thinking podcast again. Hee. She was pleased with the Pretty Woman DVD and Simon's Cat book I got her, as well as the soaps I had/let/made her open on Christmas Eve. (I unrolled a sheet of A4 with a cute picture of a pigtailed girl in glasses holding a certificate and the words 'IOU One Mystery Parcel', so ... something forthcoming, it would appear. Aww.) And now she's settled on one end of the sofa with a Modesty Blaise book and a cup of tea, with Rob T Furball curled up at her feet. Meanwhile, I am settled across the room, with the now-traditional Christmas duck in the oven and a Muppet Show DVD in the computer.

I know that there are more than a few people on my flist (myself included) who might have reason to be somewhat less than jolly this particular Christmas. I know that 2009 has been a really hard year, and that there are money troubles and family issues and grief and loss that all make the holiday season a little tough to cope with, what with one reason or another. I honestly don't belittle that, but I hope that wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and however you celebrate, that you can somehow find something to celebrate about the day. I'm not one that generally subscribes to arbitrary celebrations, but Christmas/Yule is one of the only ones I really don't see as arbitrary. Whatever you worship or believe, it's a time to celebrate the turning of the year. (I'm really jaded about the whole 31 Dec/1 Jan turn-over because the whole thing was a ploy by the Romans to squeeze in an extra tax year to pay for some war or other; I celebrate my new year when the longest night is done in my hemisphere.) 2009 has sucked, but it's over, more or less. The days are getting longer, the nights are getting shorter, and there's a whole new year waiting in the wings, which we can make of what we will.

Sure, this isn't my best Christmas ever in a lot of ways, but in some ways, it really is - I have some of the best friends anyone could hope for, I'm warm and safe, and there's a future that could hold great opportunities if I'm smart enough to see them for what they are, strong enough to keep looking no matter how miserable things get, and lucky enough to find them in the first place. Sure, I'm not in a very good place right now, but my place could be worse and I can still work to make things better. So between counting my blessings and hope for the future, I'm not going to be all Ebenezer Scrooge about the holiday season.

So to each and every one of you, happy holidays, and remember - axial tilt is the reason for the season, but the reason for the holiday is what you make of it.

(Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be over here, watching Muppet Show episodes. I have Mahna Mahna all cued up!)

Comments

[ilyena_sylph]

I like this post. Lots.

Mahna Mahna! *hums along!*

[(Anonymous)]

感じのいい男性を想像していたので、
なんだかがっかり。

[nightskywarlock.livejournal.com]

There's something that's always caught me about the new year starting in the dead of winter and the new day starting in the middle of the night.

The new year should start in spring and the new day should start around sunrise.

[doccy.livejournal.com]

But the new day - and the new year - start their build-up in the middle. Midnight is when the sun stops rotating away, and starts coming back again. Same with the year - when the days start getting longer again, it's the new year - a build-up towards the year's centre, Midsummer.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

What a lovely day, and as one of those who's had a tough year, I second the dream of a good day and a better year. ::hearts::

[minmorton.livejournal.com]

Modesty Blaise and the Muppets!! Now that's a way to see in the New Year