Marlow's Musings 12/24/23

Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.

Audio narration by David Marlow

‘A Run Through the Woods at Christmas’ David Marlow@2023

You are likely reading this on Christmas Eve, though I am writing it on Christmas Adam. What is Christmas Adam?

More about that in a moment.

Typically, I begin writing my Musing early in the week. For this one, I wanted to ponder the season's richness and to do that, it needed to be experienced right up to Christmas day.

As a result, this musing might be a bit meandering, though it is my hope that gives it more meaning.

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future."

Agnes M. Pahro

Forgive your own past, believe in your present, and have hope for the future.

Whether you celebrate Christmas as a sacred spiritual time, fun with Santa, both, or even if you don't celebrate at all, it can be a time of reflection and hope.

I like what my fellow runner Dave Griffin had to say about this time of year.

"December is a time to find peace and feel hope, but those things are elusive until you stop yourself from wondering what could have been and begin dreaming about what might be."

I encourage you to take advantage of the positive framing that often occurs, as December marks the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. Your mind is already positioned to be open to new and wonderful things.

Take advantage of that and begin dreaming about what might be in 2024.

A promising step toward seeing our dreams become a reality is to imagine that they could.

Here’s to time spent dreaming about what might yet be.

I should write a philosophy of toys...

I've thought a bit lately about what Robert Lynd said regarding Christmas.

“Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.”

There is a deeper meaning here than just toys at Christmas.

It speaks to me of focusing on the right things, the essential things, the things in our life with meaning.

🧸 What would it mean to be a philosopher of toys, play, excitement, and meaning all year long?

And now to explain Christmas Adam…

It started as a conversation I had with my daughter over a quarter of a century ago. I loved her observation so much we started a family tradition based on it.

Helaina : Tomorrow is Christmas Eve right?

Dad: Yes it is.

Helaina: Then today must be Christmas Adam.

Dad: Why is that?

Helaina: Adam came before Eve and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Today must be Christmas Adam.

Each year, we celebrate Christmas Adam on the day before Christmas Eve.

Word of the Week

Mudita (n.)

/moo-dee-tāh/

1: Joy or pleasure in seeing happiness for or in others.

2: sympathetic or vicarious joy—the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people's well-being.

3: A pure joy unadulterated by self-interest

From the ancient Pali and Sanskrit.

In this season of joy and giving, I thought this was perfect for our Word of Purpose.

In case you missed it…

Last week, I told you about my practice of giving each newborn child, starting with nieces and nephews, now grandchildren, a vintage teddy bear for their first Christmas.

I give them all a name and a story. The bear I gave to my newest grandchild, my grandson ‘M’ is named Amicus Custos Taru, which is a Latin/Irish-Gaelic combo meaning Faithful Friend and Protector of a young, adventurous boy.

Many of you asked to read the story and it was the plan this week, to share the ‘legendary’ tale I wrote for him.

Unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out, so stay tuned for next week. In case you missed it, this is Amicus just before I delivered him to the boy who will love him forever.

Comment of the Week:

This week’s comment is from CG…

Thank you for your email, I’m currently offline until 22nd of January 2024.

I’ll reply to your message promptly when I return. But if your message is time-sensitive and requires immediate assistance, please contact me by phone.

Wishing you and your Family a wonderful holiday season.

---

I’ve never gotten an out-of-office message to an article email. I’d forgotten they were even a thing, as it’s been more than four years since I set one up myself before the holidays.

Good for CG for taking time off this time of year.

Here’s to many of you having ‘out-of-office’ messages.

Quote I’m Pondering

This thought from Howard Hunter resonated with me…

“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, and then speak it again.”

Interesting Thing I Saw This Week

I often run along the Ice Age Trail that roughly follows the location of the terminal moraine or the final edge of a glacier from the last Ice Age.

It is the final resting place for many stones like the ones that make up this wall, rounded smooth by years of being rolled by glaciers.

For over a decade, I have passed this wall and never noticed this stone…until today.

Most are uniform in color, but not this one. Perhaps the moisture and light on this foggy and wet day highlighted it in a way that helped me notice what I had never noticed before.

Can you spot it in the wall?

Final Thoughts

Scrooge's nephew Fred in Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol sums up this day quite well when he says:

“There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,' returned the nephew. 'Christmas among the rest.

But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time when it has come round—apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that—as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”

My fellow passengers, As Scrooge's nephew refers to us, remember this day, we are all just walking each other home.

Quest well, and Merry Christmas

Original art by Alicia Marlow