During the last of the fine weather last week I put up my Christmas lights.
Although it’s not the grand show that I had during the COVID years, which was the first
year I put out lights for the holidays. Many of the lights from those years aren’t working
anymore, and even the ones that were put up will be limping their way through the
season. Some sections are not lighting and a few bulbs are missing from the strings. I
just tried my best to cover the gaps. But its worth it because in the dark, that little bit
more light shines clearly and still makes a statement. I think the most important piece of
my diminished display is the star above an arborvitae. It makes me a little sad to think
this will be its last year up there, if it makes it through to the New Year.

Like during COVID, I want my Christmas lights to be a statement to me and from
me that I have not given up hope. That even in the dark, things can shine. And actually,
most of my Christmas lights can’t even be seen until it gets dark.

The legend goes that Sir Edward Grey (1862-1933), the British Foreign Secretary, looking out his office window on the eve of WWI noted as the gas lights flickered on along the streets, “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” For the next 30 years Europe and the world suffered through the wars, revolutions, and amoral regimes that impact us to this day. From those ashes the world order that we know…knew?…was built. And now again it seems
the lamps are going out all over the world as division, distrust, violence, and the threat of violence are utilized by leaders to try and achieve regressive and harmful aims.

As the world darkens, there’s going to be a lot of work to do in the coming years. Humanistic and progressive examples need to continue to be set. Small acts of kindness and magnanimity will shine all the brighter in darker times. No matter how dark it gets, we cannot let our lamps go out. As Pete Buttigieg, the current Transportation Secretary says “We cannot be mesmerized,” by what we find going on around us. It becomes all the more important that we stay realistic, calm, and focused as we go about our daily good works. Our old star has to continue to shine.

It is also important to remember and celebrate our accomplishments and all that is still achievable. We need to recognize and express our gratitude for all the things that go right. As we face all that we are facing, we must remember to hold onto one another, protect those who need our protection, and express thanks for what we are able to build and sustain. However long it may take for all the lamps to again be lit, let us strive to endure and continue to shine. May we this year, all of us, enjoy a Merry Christmas, and have a New Year full of shining.