Alone at Christmas? No. ALL ONE! We are each a sovereign soul, at one with all.

December 25, 2021

If you find yourself alone — and lonely — at Christmas, the inimitable Joni Mitchell, now 78,  put up a wonderfully animated version of her 50-year-old song River on her website yesterday.

 

And for those who realize that all of life on this planet, and elsewhere, no matter what the appearances, and no matter how complex, differentiated, and polarized, actually functions cooperatively, in concert, with everyone conducting their own orchestra, composed of all the voices on the inside that get projected outside and then, via our interactions with others, we recognize, honor, and integrate these voices, this seeming cacophony, back into the self.  Hopefully, by end of this lifetime, we can look back at the amazing, staggeringly beautiful symphony we managed to compose and, with full hearted gratitude, thank all our friends and enemies, especially our enemies, our “honorable opponents,” for their shock value, forcing the recognition of mirroring that otherwise, we might have just let slip by.

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was first performed in Leipzig 1734, where Bach was musical director, Thomaskirche. This 2009 performance was sung by the Thomaner Choir, and accompanied by members of the Gewandhaaus Orchestra. This conductor is obviously enjoying himself hugely. Are you?

On this dark Christmas morning, remember, re-member, let us put ourselves back together again as, from December 21 on, the light increases daily.

 

 

Best Christmas Present Ever?

December 24, 2021

Oh my! This 4 minute video (amazing: an ad for Chevrolet!), put up on 12/13/21, got over 5 million views in one week! Made me tear up. What I especially appreciated was the daughter’s dedication to her father’s welfare, as well as the group process among his friends that she instigated. Though this particular story may be “fiction,” the feeling it depicts does occur — especially during Christmas season (no matter how “they” try to isolate us, lock us in, lock us down) — in all sorts of buroughs and corners and byways and pockets, mostly out of sight and out of mind, centered in the heart and invoking the soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4-oyBnknHk&t=240s&ab_channel=Chevrolet