Saturday, December 24, 2011

freedom and hope

There is a dinky, mechanized Christmas tree and a very old menorah on my kitchen table. I'm going to my first Christmas service ever (!) tonight with one of my two Iowan ladies at the Unitarian Universalist church. Tomorrow night, after Christmas shindigs (eat-a-thons) around the neighborhood, my family will whip out the Strike Anywheres and do our special Hanukkah spiel. (By which I mean, we'll light the candles and say about 12 words in Hebrew.)

I was a little bit nervous about attending the Christmas service tonight, but then I remembered something my dad told me. He reminded me that when you condense Hanukkah and Christmas down to their purest meanings (past the gifts, religious fervor, whatever) Hanukkah is really about freedom and Christmas is about hope and new beginnings. When I thought about that, I felt really glad to give Christmas a plug. I am so thrilled to spend tonight with one of my girls. Better go get ready.

1 comment:

Vanna said...

It was lovely to have you there with me! Although I had no idea you were nervous about going! :/