Comfort for the cold days of winter

In January I usually feel like this -

- spent and drained, knocked down by the cold and the shortened days.
It's the season for napping, sitting by the fire, and warming my spirit with comfort books.   Comfort books are those that feed my spirit, that have themes of hope.
My favorite comfort book this winter is "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  I first read "The Secret Garden" when I read it aloud to my children when they were small.  The book is considered a childhood classic, but its message of hope is one for all ages.
The secret garden of the title is a place of healing for Mary and Colin, two children ailing in spirit and body.  When Mary first enters the garden in the cold of winter it appears lifeless, but with the help and encouragement of Dickon, a boy who seems to be one with everything in nature,  she begins digging and pruning and weeding.  As the garden comes to life so does Mary.  Mary and Dickon bring Colin into the garden and he, too, grows in strength and hope for his future.   Reading about the transformation of these children and the gradual coming to life of the garden reminds me that Spring will come, that there will be an end to the cold and the dark.
Near the end of the book, the children, along with a weathered old gardener and Dickon's mother, are in the garden.  Dickon is full of joy and thankfulness and the gardener, Ben Weatherstaff, suggests that they sing the Doxology.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.


And I sing along with them.

A movie was made of "The Secret Garden" in 1993.  The trailer for the movie gives a short synopsis of the plot for those who aren't familiar with it.  If the trailer peaks your interest, read the book first, then see the movie.  Get to know Mary in your heart and your imagination before seeing someone else's portrayal of her.

A journal to be shared

In 2003 we moved from our home of 23 years and began life in a new home. With the first holiday season in this new home I started a holiday journal, a journal which now contains many pages of reflections on family holiday celebrations.  This isn't a private journal, but a journal to be shared.  In the first year, when we had a joyful houseful of guests for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I asked everyone who was willing to write something in the journal. There were 13 entries that year. In the years since, when we haven't had as many family members here to write directly in the journal, I've asked that others send me something to place in it - and so I've stapled e-mails and stationary in the pages. When Hal wrote columns about the holidays, I put those in the journal, too.  In 2007, the year we were blessed with three additional grandchildren, I included the photo from our Christmas card.

Each year at Thanksgiving I bring this journal out and re-read the entries from years past. I am reminded once again of the great gifts we have been given even as we've suffered the inevitable losses of living in this world.
We've rejoiced at the marriage of our son and my brother and at the births of six grandchildren. Twice we've woken the day after Christmas to find snow falling. We've gathered on Thanksgiving in five different homes, all of them warm and inviting and full of love. Family members have been diagnosed and treated for cancer, have undergone and healed from surgery, have graduated from high school and college. Our children have moved to new homes.  Our son graduated from law school, our son-in-law took the bold step of going back to school to become an orthodontist, our daughter will graduate in May with a Master of Library Science degree. We've grieved the loss of both of Hal's parents and my father.  We've made the decision to focus on the gift of presence rather than presents.  As the years have passed so swiftly, we have found comfort in our traditions while embracing new ones.  We have been strengthened and blessed by our love for one another.  We look forward with hope to what the new year will bring.
I only wish that I had started this journal many years ago.

Blessings to all of you in this new year!