For me, the spirit of Christmas is generosity of heart, which is a miraculous thing indeed. William Hazlitt said: “A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.” There are many other quotes that help call the spirit of Christmas. John Ruskin in his essay “Work” said: “Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back.” On the outside Christmas may look like brightly wrapped gifts, but on the inside, the heart expands with kindness and joy. Elbert Hubbard said: “Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep.” Giving can be big and it can be small. A Japanese proverb says: “One kind word can warm three winter months.” This kind of mindfulness manifests in many forms, one being giving our attention to others. Simone Weil said: “Attention … is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Christmas calls us to be giving and kind to others, and to be kind and generous to ourselves. In his work Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner said: “The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you.” Then we can extend this Spirit into the year ahead. As Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol said: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.
Have a very merry Christmas season and may this peace and joy extend into the new year.