‘Tis the season...

Normally the mind would fill in the blank and finish the phrase with “to be jolly.” This time, we’re going to expand on that idea a bit.

When we begin to approach the holidays each year, there is much activity... things to do and sights to behold, great old movies, holiday baking – so many wonderful touchstones that bring us back to all the warm feelings we’ve ever had this time of year. We get caught up in the flurry of what’s going on. I started thinking about exactly what is it that makes this time of year so special, so unique and, for some, so bittersweet.

Of course, the first thing we think of is family. The rituals we have all developed over the years around the holidays are our personal traditions. We cling to them, laugh at some moments and remember the times when we had the entire family unit together. I recall, probably more than anything, the wonderful stories.

When my gang would get together, the first thing, after the fresh pot of coffee was on the stove, would be to gather every bit of food in the house and make a spread on the kitchen table. Then people could wander in and out and snack at leisure. After settling in, someone would begin the storytelling. Usually it started out with a warm, wonderful reminiscent moment. Everyone would go into their own mind, recalling where they were when this event was happening. Sometimes the story seemed to change a little over the years. It didn’t matter. We were mesmerized by the re-telling of part of our family history.

I especially loved to watch the elder members of the family. As stories unfolded, they sometimes would add a thing or two. Often a trickle would fall from their eyes as they were in their reverie. The part I liked best was watching the warm, soft glow that began to emerge. The eyes that were quietly soft and observant would become brighter, as if being illuminated from a little bulb inside. The glow would spread across their faces. They began to look younger. The stories not only re-connected them to happy times but it somehow transformed them in that exact moment into a more vibrantly alive being! Then the room would really start to hum taking on a spirit of its own.

So, what is your holiday tradition? How will you be spending this season? The stories we share provide a wonderful opportunity to bring back the glow in another’s eyes. We all have warm, heart-filled memories to share and to hear from others. Every life is a story. Every story is meaningful and important for contained within each and every one is a gem. And that gem is the key to who you were, who you are and ultimately who you are evolving into. Your history contains the seeds of your future possibilities. In every story there is a message of love... a message of love given, shared, received, lost and extended. Every story is a love story. What can you learn from the stories you’ve been told and the ones you have to share? How much of the love can you bring forth in the re-telling?

People yearn for connection, true strong heart-connection with each other. This time, more than any other time of the year, people reach out. Strangers smile to each other, hold the doors open, make eye contact and nod heads in acknowledgement. We’ve all been there. We know what it is like to sometimes go through the challenges that life presents. Yet, we all have that wonderful human spirit, that resiliency of the soul that allows us to not only bounce back but to burst forth with a vibrant new knowledge that we have grown and that we have touched one another.

We have been writing our life stories since our birth. They seem to grow richer and fuller with time. The beauty of the artform called “living a life” is that we are free to go back, take a look at the scenarios, edit, do some re-writes, add some things, delete others. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you live your life to the fullest expression and that you enjoy each and every moment. Appreciate the storytellers you know. Cultivate your inner storyteller and encourage its presence whenever possible.

May the book of your days be long and sweet and may you have wonderful, heart-filled stories to share this holiday season.