I’ve changed a lot over the years just like we all have. I’ve gone from a kid who put on a bath rob and played a shepherd in the church manger scene then went home and stared in marvel at the Christmas tree to someone who is satisfied just to see people smiling more this time of year. The world is a much bigger place with people of different beliefs and of every level of spirituality, all hopefully valued. We live our own different lives and are all held together by a thread woven of love and hope. The single constant through every celebration of the season is sharing. The act of sharing is why we light candles, hang mistletoe and bake cookies. It’s why we make phone calls, travel miles to hug, and make gestures too often taken for granted.
Creating something you think is beautiful is just time wasted, the funniest think you can imagine is just another fleeting thought, and singing so sweet and with such a passion that makes your own eyes tear is just another sound unless you share it with someone.
It’s easy to convince yourself of this. Just remember seeing the most spectacular thing you have ever seen in your life; maybe it’s the Grand Canyon, or a sculpture that held you hostage for several minutes, or just a sunset some evening over a hill you see almost every day of your life. Now explain it to someone in a way that they see it too. It’s impossible. Now use any media you wish – sketch it, take a photo, or even digital video. You might have a great amount of artistic ability and shared an amount of the visualization, but it will always fall short. That is why nothing is as wonderful as time shared.
Sharing is the one human necessity we mindfully neglect yet fully regret when we do. We hold things in, whether out of fear of being unappreciated or just carelessness, instilled in us by a threatening world. We’ve seen an ocean and ran across it to have out feet burned by the sand. We’ve hugged someone and felt much less of a hug in return. Our potential as humans will always be bridled by our past. That’s why it’s important to focus on our main objective, which is to share.
