Blessings for the first Sunday of Advent

[wiseheart]

Our Advent table:




My dear friends,

We all know that Christmas will be different this year. Most Christmas markets won't take place, many Christmas concerts get cancelled and many of us won't be able to celebrate with their loved ones.

In other words: the dratted virus all but crushed something that's supposed to be the feast of joy, hope and love.

This doesn't mean we'd have to give up, though. On the contrary: let us find the small (or not so small) joys that can make us happy, even now, despite anything - and show the stupid virus the middle finger.

Today is the first Sunday of advent; for us, Christian people, Advent is the time of preparation and joyous anticipation. That's why we keep Advent calendars: to make the time of waiting shorter; to know when we have to dress our hearts festively, as the fox said to the Little Prince.

Now, when darkness appears to be thicker than in other years, the idea of a virtual Advent calendar appeared to me. A simple trick to steal back some of the light into our lives.

Let us find each day one thing that was good on that day. It could be a phone chat with a friend, a message, the fact that cooking lunch/dinner was a success or that the kid/grandkid fell asleep in time; or some music we heard, something beautiful we saw. If we have the strength, we can even write down this and collect the small notes in a box. On Christmas Eve we'll have a box full of joy this way, which is no small feet in these days.

This is what I am going to do anyway. I'll make my little notes in the planner where I've been recording the short meetings, phone calls, e-mails and the likes from my real life friends. These were the things that kept me (reasonably) sane since the plague broke out.

Join me, if you like. Of course, one things at the beginning that it's too much effort; but in reality it won't take than half a minute each day. And looking back at Christmas Eve we'll see that we had indeed some light in our lives during these four weeks.

Naturally, I won't ask anyone if they participated in the Christmass-y virus-repelling. Whoever likes the idea and joins, does it for her/himself. However, I can promise that I'll think of each and every one of you at the end of the day when I write down my daily joy notices. Not much, I know, but it comes from the heart.

Apologies for getting all sentimental on you. I'm afraid it comes with advanced age.

Wishing you all a blessed, peaceful Advent and hope for better times for us all!

Love, Soledad

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I like your Advent table - and your idea, too.

At the end of our 'Advent words' this morning is a sentence that is, perhaps, especially significant this year -

But we celebrate because, along with many others, we are people who refuse to give up hope – and that kind of hope is stronger than anything else in the world.

[elmey.livejournal.com]

What a festive table! It really helps to set the right mood.

I like your idea of the virtual advent calendar, a little gift we can give ourselves.
My entry for today is that it's my birthday, and I got breakfast in bed, a beautiful day outside, and no cooking tonight. What could be better :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds good! Happy Birthday, sweetie! Here, have a cake - virtual calories don't count, so you can have it all for yourself. Or share it. Whatever you want. :)

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c6/63/37/c66337c0c7998e906251d02494e3d463.jpg)

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Apple? I love apple cake! Not sharing :D

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Apple and quark, actually. Very yummy.

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

A lovely idea! I've just had a fab birthday zoom party. I actually quite like these because I get to see my London chums!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Seeing friends is always a delight. I wish I had a webcam and the other technical stuff but I don't, so phone chats are the way.

[red-day-dawning.livejournal.com]

Very pretty table. Today, I woke up early because the sun was shining in my face. Sunlight filtered through a white flowered climbing plant, all bright and white and green.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

For the first time in the week, we had sunshine today as well. I baked chocolate-pistachio pretzels and stars (you can see them in the foreground of the picture) and took a nap in the afternoon. I love napping in sunshine while it floods my little bedroom. It has something inherently peaceful (except in high summer, of course, when it's so hot that we have to pull down all the Venetian blinds *g*).

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I like your Advent table - and your idea, too.

At the end of our 'Advent words' this morning is a sentence that is, perhaps, especially significant this year -

But we celebrate because, along with many others, we are people who refuse to give up hope – and that kind of hope is stronger than anything else in the world.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That is beautiful!

I shared the idea with my real life friends as well and some of them are tending towards picking it up. I think my work is done. ;)

[manue7a.livejournal.com]

That's such a sweet idea! <3

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :) It occurred to me that we all need to be reminded that there's still light beyond the dark clouds.

[meathiel]

That sounds like a very good idea.

Had yummy mousse au chocolat for dessert ... that counts, right?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! I for my part baked the chocolate-pistachio pretzels in the foreground of the picture. *g*

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Very sweet, thanks. I have something I read every day Forward Day-by-Day , and each day at the bottom of the magazine I write something I'm happy for/about/etc.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link. I might take a look from time to time. :)

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Going to get an advent wreath for home. :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea. It makes quite the atmosphere, even if it's ready-made. Ours is ready-made, too... and old and battered by now. But we already had it while Grandma was still alive, so it stays until it falls apart.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

That's really nice you have that.

The one I got: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DHZPS1K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yours is pretty, too. :)

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

The table is lovely and so is your idea. I think I will adopt it :0)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Be my guest! The more, the merrier!