"Values" can be such a loaded word for me, since I am a (Nearly) Bleeding-Heart Liberal who chafes regularly at the religious right's attempts to claim a monopoly on having values at all. But in my calmer moments, I can enumerate the things I think are important to me, and to Rob and me as a couple, and the things we want The Pook to grow to value as well. I can't say as they really change for the holidays, but a spotlight kind of shines on them this time of year. Here are the words that spring to mind most often when I think about our values:
Giving
Receiving
Thankfulness
Togetherness
Kindness
Open-mindedness
Fairness
Compassion
Tolerance
Justice
Laughter
Family
Friends
Mindfulness
Intellect.
We're no longer churchgoing, as the appeal of mass religion has waned for us, so our Christmas is more pagan than anything -- a holiday of light to guide us through the darkest nights of the year. Probably the most important aspect of our Christmas is the family togetherness we experience. I am lucky to have one of those rare families where we actually enjoy one another's company; occasionally there is a smidgen of drama over this or that, but it's never anything major, never anything you'd have to ask Dear Abby for advice in dealing with. Our Christmas days together are, for the most part, a blast. And it's mainly because we are together, laughing and carrying on, celebrating. So that's the crux of the holiday for us: family togetherness.
No comments:
Post a Comment