It is nearly Christmas and all over the world ...
all over the world ... fingers are flying as artists, artisans, crafters, and makers of things endeavor to gift the finest gift there is...love.
Love.
That is the root of the season. And we seek to flow and show our love as finely and as broadly as we possibly can.
We do that, we humans. We do.
Love.
I remember the exact moment when I realized love is the one true thing, the key to the universe. I know where I was, what I was doing, the color of the sky, the other things in motion around me, the time of day, how I was sitting, where I was heading. I also remember the amazing feeling of abundant clarity and spiritual fullness I felt when I realized that simple truth.
Regardless of your faith, you can believe in Christmas if you choose, because the simplicity of the holiday is
love.
Regardless of who or what Jesus was, you can believe in the love that was his message.
Love one another.
I mean, how simple and direct can you get.
Love one another.
Forget about everything else, all of the religious teachings and trappings and ceremony and wars over whose god is God and what we all ought to think about any of that.
Toss all of that out. There was this guy, his name happened to be Jesus of Nazareth and he said we all ought to love one another.
Love. One. Another.
Simple.
That message changed the world, and changed it for the better.
So, to celebrate that message a bunch of us all over the world celebrate first and foremost the concept of loving one another. And we get inspired to do all kinds of great and wondrous and small and perfect acts of kindness and brotherhood toward those we are close to but also toward others we do not know.
We find and create ways to embody the love that guy suggested.
I read an article several years ago about a survey regarding gifts people love and don't love to receive at Christmas. Sadly, handmade gifts were on the list as being not appreciated.
That's really bad news for someone like me because I love to make things, and I love mostly making things for other people. I am a maker of things, and when I really want to show someone that I love them I make them something.
Making things and giving them away, that's my way of showing my love.
This brings me to the subject at hand, the handmade gift. In particular, I have something to,say about handknit gifts, but what I have to say relates to all handmade gifts.
When someone knits something for you, what they are really giving you is love.
It might look like a scarf, a hat, some gloves or socks, a tea cozy...whatever. It might be fine, classy, and beautiful. Or, it might be an ill-advised combination of colors in a horrifyingly inconsistent striping pattern. Either way, that handknit piece is a gift of love. You were thought of as the person chose the pattern, picked the yarn, worked a swatch, cast on, knit along, made mistakes, tangled their yarn, came to the end, cast off, wove in the yarn tails, and gazed at their completed piece. Every step in the process involved love.
Love, the secret of and key to the universe. Someone gave that to you. By knitting you a gift. Do you realize how divinely special that is?
When someone has given of themselves by making you a gift, even if it isn't your style or taste, even if the fibers don't suit you, or,the colors make you want to gag I suggest you give love in return by wearing or using the handmade gift at least once. And as you do, focus on the love residing in and resonating from the fibers of that thing.
And know this: You are one of the most fortunate human beings on the planet. Someone loved you enough to make something for you.
People. We are here on this planet together. We have the freedom and the ability to love one another.
Christmas?
Keep it simple. It is a celebration of the message of love.
And together we can change the world for the better in a big way, for a little while each year.
Merry Christmas.
Love,
~firefly
