I had the obligatory "I miss you Mom, but I just can't make it home for Christmas" chat with my mom for the umpteenth time last week. She, in her very Southern-passive-yet-obvious way, was well into her guilt trip about my not only missing Christmas but also missing my nieces' growing-up by not living nearby.
Happy Holidays y'all. (Read: I hope you make it through all the subtle word-stabs relatively unscathed this Christmas and New Year.)
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Last year at this time, I was on my way back from Hampi - a stone-age looking, ancient temple-filled town in South India where I sunned on rocks, drank lassi, and gawked at international hippies and various animal creatures.
After arriving back to Hyderabad before dawn, I caught a couple of hours sleep before spending Christmas day with thirty of my closest friends in Ronald Rego's home, where his generous family hosted us for the second time in two months.
Late that night, I Skyped my family as they huddled around my sister's computer and KM ran around hyped up on sugar.
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It was a truly wonderful holiday. Were there presents? No. Was my biological family there in person? No. Was it full of traditions from my childhood? No.
But there were loved ones and joy and sharing. It was festive and bright. It was lovely.
This year, another very generous family invited me to spend the holiday with them. This one will be colder - maybe even white! - but I expect that it will be just as new to me, and just as wonderful.
Because, the thing is, I love my family and I do miss them and I wish I could spend the holiday with them. Look at these faces, who wouldn't want to be with them.
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But, you know? A very beautiful thing about spending holidays with a different kind of loved ones - perhaps ones who don't know you quite as well, who don't love you 'in spite of things', who don't have an obligation to love you - a beautiful thing about this is that you feel the spirit of the season: the hospitality, the overflowing love, the passing of peace.
So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am wishing you a season surrounded by warmth and love. If you can't be with your family, I truly hope you have Regos and Snyders in your life who will open their homes and their traditions to you. Cherish it.
Much love.
Happy Holidays y'all. (Read: I hope you make it through all the subtle word-stabs relatively unscathed this Christmas and New Year.)
Last year at this time, I was on my way back from Hampi - a stone-age looking, ancient temple-filled town in South India where I sunned on rocks, drank lassi, and gawked at international hippies and various animal creatures.After arriving back to Hyderabad before dawn, I caught a couple of hours sleep before spending Christmas day with thirty of my closest friends in Ronald Rego's home, where his generous family hosted us for the second time in two months.
Late that night, I Skyped my family as they huddled around my sister's computer and KM ran around hyped up on sugar.
It was a truly wonderful holiday. Were there presents? No. Was my biological family there in person? No. Was it full of traditions from my childhood? No.
But there were loved ones and joy and sharing. It was festive and bright. It was lovely.
This year, another very generous family invited me to spend the holiday with them. This one will be colder - maybe even white! - but I expect that it will be just as new to me, and just as wonderful.
Because, the thing is, I love my family and I do miss them and I wish I could spend the holiday with them. Look at these faces, who wouldn't want to be with them.
But, you know? A very beautiful thing about spending holidays with a different kind of loved ones - perhaps ones who don't know you quite as well, who don't love you 'in spite of things', who don't have an obligation to love you - a beautiful thing about this is that you feel the spirit of the season: the hospitality, the overflowing love, the passing of peace.
So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am wishing you a season surrounded by warmth and love. If you can't be with your family, I truly hope you have Regos and Snyders in your life who will open their homes and their traditions to you. Cherish it.
Much love.
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| May you know this much happiness. |
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