Another snow event in Vancouver. 20cm last night. It’s magical. Unless you are trapped on a plane on the tarmac at the airport for 12 hours (that actually has been happening) and then the flight is cancelled and you are back in the terminal and can’t get your bags.
Whether snow makes things magical or not is dependent upon a number of circumstances. How can you ensure a magical Christmas?
Are you the person tasked with trying to make Christmas magic for other people? Were you tasked with this by others or did you take up the role yourself?
There can be a lot of pressure.
I came across a term last week that I had not heard before. I had not heard the term, but I am familiar with what it describes. Imagined future nostalgia is that extra layer of pressure some people feel to make Christmas magical so that years from now people will look back with fondness and warm sentiment.
In other words, there is not enough pressure just for today, but we find a way to imagine a future in which people will be judging what we do today.
I pray a blessing upon you. However you feel pressure to make things perfect, I pray that you will know the freedom of breathing and loving imperfection. Maybe you have done all that you wanted to do to get ready - I pray that you would find space and breath. Or, if you now realize that you will not get things done that you wanted to get done, I pray that you will enjoy letting expectations go. The blessing I hope for you is that you would rest in your humanity and in the company of those around you.
Grateful.
As for the judgers of the future - I have a couple of words for them, but I won’t say them here - they probably won’t judge you anyway. Some of the judgment might be coming not from them, but from you. Bless you for caring, for wanting people to have a great Christmas and for resting in the grinchy reminder that, “It came without packages, boxes, or bows …”
Remember when Jesus taught about the future and worry?
His words might be taken to be flippant if he wasn’t such a loving person. “Why do you worry about tomorrow? Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Comforting, I suppose.
If you’re from around these parts, moving slowly or not at all due to the weather, may you at least once, look outside and say with heartfelt intent - “magical.”
WOW! Lots of magical snow!