Happy Holidays!

Dear Friends and Family,

Back from a glorious 6 week adventure in California: garlic planting (aka farm therapy), eating the best food in the continent and sharing magical moments with many Undercover Angels and, though I've changed some plans, I'm very glad that I made it home for the holidays. I hope this letter finds you healthy and happy and, while it’s no secret that the holidays can be a particularly challenging and stressful time for many of us, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being such a positive and delightful soul in my life!

I am thankful for the holiday season as it gives me a chance to pause and feel grateful for all the amazing people in my life, my good fortune, health and abundance of love that fills my heart. As I pack my backpack once more and look towards my upcoming journey to India I feel blessed to have the chance to be home with friends and family for the holidays; a favourite and delicious time of year.

I'm not too keen on shopping and stressing so I've given those up. Instead, I love cooking/eating, hanging out with loved ones and laughing 'till my cheeks hurt! I remember as a child, straining to hear Santa on the rooftop, carefully choosing cookies to leave out for him and I recall the warm fuzzies; the magic of the season as my heart was full of curiosity and awe. Well, now, I don't have to fear the loss of baked goods to jolly old men and I do sleep soundly on Christmas Eve without thumb-sucking, but my heart is still full as I hold that sense of wonder and awe that I find through the music and colours of the season.

We are surrounded by two primary colors at Christmas; red and green. Red has come to represent passion, fire, creativity, and love. Green signifies growth, wealth, fertility, nature, good luck, youth, and hope. As we are greeted with the colors of the season, we are reminded of the complexities of our nature and how each of our lives is a work of art and that we are the artists ultimately charged with creating our own masterpieces.

Aldous Huxley wrote, “After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” The holidays are filled with music and while certain Christmas carols may annoy the hell out of you/me, others can serve to nourish our souls. Music is what feelings sound like!

Everywhere we look during the holiday season there will be both sacred images and superficial symbols. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. I encourage us to screen out as much as possible that brings you no comfort or joy, and focus instead on the magic, mystery, and meaning of the season. mmmm-hmmmm...
I know I'm not one who keeps in touch very well via phone or email... I've embraced the technological age a wee bit more this year and I would like to take this opportunity, however en masse, to reach out and say hello and happy holidays. I'd love it if you wrote back with some of your thoughts and feelings at this time of year. And if anyone is so inclined to share with all my dear friends, please feel free to post your responses on my holiday blog post.

***Please don't feel any pressure to write back or fill in your responses if you're not into it. I don't want to put any stress on your holidays! :)

Please Tell Me About You:

What are the activities that make you really really really happy during the holidays? List out your top 5. This is your list of Holiday Happys. Why do these make you happy and give you a sense of calm?

If you could do anything, there's no restrictions, in 2010 what would it be?!

What has been your biggest challenge this year and how have you overcome it? what did you learn?

What has been something new and exciting you tried recently and how did you feel?

A few things I learned about the holiday history this year that I thought I'd share:

*There are about five million reindeer in the world living in Northern Canada, Lapland, Alaska & Northern Russia.
*Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on oak and other trees. Originally, it dates back as a symbol of peace to both the Druids and Romans. When battling soldiers found themselves under the mistletoe, they immediately laid down their arms and declared peace for the day.
*Santa wears red and white because that's how Coca Cola linked him to their ads dating back to 1931.
*The common abbreviation for Christmas is Xmas, derived from the Greek alphabet. X is letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ's name in the Greek alphabet.
*The tradition of placing candles in windows during the Christmas season originated in Victorian England where candle lit windows were a sign to passersby that they would be welcomed and offered shelter during the holidays (couchsurfing anyone?!).
*Not only are poinsettias from Mexico, but in Mexico wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve is said to bring new love in the upcoming year...

Check out this humorous, award-winning radio episode from CBC's Age of Persuasion titled Commandeering the Holidays!

Many Blessings,

From:

a bike-ridding, backpacking, dirt-worshiping elf!

(aka Michelle)