In typical holiday fashion, we decorated our tree this week and I rushed home every evening just to enjoy it (and a little time with JSM, of course.) As I mentioned in an earlier post I am trying to make the most of Christmas this year, learning more about the meaning of Advent, trying new traditions, and generally slowing down to savor every opportunity this season brings (hot chocolate, a good book, Christmas lights.....The Nutcracker soundtrack!) But one of my favorite Christmas traditions is decorating the tree with JSM. It's fun to remember the homes (mostly apartments!) in which we've lived, the lands we've traveled, and the individual memories we bring to our little McNally family of two as we place each ornament on the tree. One of our traditions is to bring an ornament back from each vacation and I'm so grateful to have ornaments on our tree representing all the places we've been......and have yet to go (see below). For us, decorating the tree is a wonderful time to reflect on our past and hope for our future. Below are a few of my favorite memories....
Put a bird on it because we live in the Portland metro area, of course! No, not really, this red cardinal always sits atop our tree in honor of Big Ed, JSM's wonderful father who is with us in spirit.
JSM decorating our tree
San Francisco 2012
Amsterdam 2012
Starbucks....where JSM and I BOTH worked and to which we are now addicted! He started his purchasing career and I worked in store development. We met after our respective time at the company....
Santa in the shape of Cape Cod where JSM's family resides
Recognize these guys? Mt. Rushmore (2009)
Monticello (2007)
This one might be my favorite. Given to me by a dear friend, this ornament has a double meaning for me. It represents the hope that Christmas brings and the hope that we will one day be parents, too!
This week was also a big week in our relationship....we went on a date! Imagine that....Truthfully, it isn't that we don't like to go on dates, in fact, we very much enjoy them. It's just that most of our evenings out are with friends and restaurant meals eaten out of necessity (no time to go to the grocery store!) not because we planned to spend the evening together, just the two of us, for a special occasion.
But this WAS a special occasion and I didn't even have to leave my office :) The Vancouver Community Library hosted a group of monks, originally from Tibet, who travel the world building sand mandalas. The sand mandala is a beautiful medallion made of brightly hued sand that takes a week to build. At the end of the week, the mandala is destroyed in a ceremony to signify that nothing lasts forever and things are just things. What's most important are people. This event couldn't have been more timely with the holidays right around the corner! It was a meaningful event that left JSM and I talking about it well after it was over.
I work here! The Vancouver Community Library
The sand mandala completed - so beautiful! Imagine....this entire display is made of colored sand intricately placed.
The monks beginning the closing ceremony which included throat singing, chanting, and instruments.
The first step in destroying the mandala - making 4 lines in the sand.
Sweeping the sand together....
around and around the monk went with the brush...
until all the colors bled into a rainbow of sorts....
that got smaller and smaller....
....and finally it was a pile of colored sand,dispersed in baggies, for patrons to take home.
In the spirit of the monks and the holiday season which is a time of togetherness, love, and hope, I leave you with something I picked up at the monk's event. Take a moment to think about this which I've been contemplating for days....
The Paradox of Our Age
We have bigger houses, but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet our new neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever,
but have less communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast food but slow digestion;
Tall man, but short character;
Steep profits, but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window, but nothing in the room.
-His Holiness, The XIVth Dalai Lama
No matter your belief, this is something we can all consider as we spend time with friends and family this holiday season. Happy Holidays!
No comments:
Post a Comment