The holidays are often a mess of miscommunications, botched plans, and unmet expectations that come with reuniting family that has grown used to living apart. It is a byproduct of the season--and although taxing, it is part of what brings the nostalgia and joy to the end of the year. It is what invites grace and forgiveness... and helps to highlight “What Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” But it is still a toll that is from each of us as we gather. I annually leave Christmas morning with my family feeling gross and distorted--far from who I want to be on such a meaning-filled day. I get in my head about all the hiccups over the past week, dragging myself through the mud for not being an avatar of joy and thankfulness. Good grief!
Over the last several years I’ve founded a new personal tradition. On Christmas afternoon, I’ll bike down to the campus of the college I attended. It’s nearly empty, save for a few foreign families perusing the buildings on visits for their children. There is an art installation outside one of the newest buildings that is constructed of several mirrors at 45-degree angles. And each year, I just look at myself for a few seconds. It doesn’t take much. Something about the different perspectives, looking at myself from above and below, snaps me back into place. I’d even say I look better than usual. I’m reminded then that I am pleased with who I am, that it’s okay to abrade one another, that growth takes time; and each year I leave sure that that is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.