A Christmas Message

As time marches on and the years seem to come and go at such a rapid pace, I feel that it is more important than ever, for me at least, to focus on what matters. There will always be a Christmas rush, with people hurrying to complete their Christmas shopping. But Christmas should be more about being with the people we love (in whatever form that takes) and doing things for them rather than the material things we give and get.

Christmas in Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wisconsin

Grand gestures are sometimes nice but, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the little things that mean the most. And what seems like a little thing can sometimes be very significant. Listening and recognizing the feelings behind the words can be profound. Anticipating and meeting another’s needs without them speaking a word shows the kind of respect we seem to be lacking these days. And valuing others for their differences, rather than tolerating them or, worse yet, persecuting them, certainly makes the world a better place.

"The Listening Labyrinth", 2014 Farm/Art DTour, Sauk County, Wisconsin

With each passing day, not just at Christmastime, but throughout the entire year, I realize how important it is to be grateful for so many things, especially those we take for granted. For example, the gift of eyesight to view all the beauty in this world, like wildlife or silently falling snow.

White-tailed Deer, Dane County, Wisconsin

Or the gift of hearing birds gently welcoming the dawn or the almost deafening rush of a huge waterfall.

Brandywine Falls, Summt County, Ohio

There is a lot of turmoil in our world right now, but I choose to focus on all of the gifts we’ve been given by God or the Universe or however you choose to explain some of the most beautiful and unexplainable wonders in this world. Beauty is all around us. All you have to do is let it in. This Christmas, I wish you the inspiration to do just that.

First Lutheran Church, Middleton, Wisconsin

Merry Christmas and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann

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