Sexeteria

I suspect that, at least here in America, people like me who don't celebrate Christmas are the only ones who truly get to appreciate the actual silence of this evening. No traffic on the road, able to walk around in peace, no more horrid, pulsing Holiday Machine with it's organ-grinder-monkey spew of endless mechanical holiday tunes piped into every orifice...

All gone. It's all quiet.

It's really quite lovely. I wish more nights could be quiet and contemplative like this. I wish the world could shut itself off more often and just breathe.

Tonight, I wish this gift for my Christmas-celebrating friends: that you, in the middle of the bustle of family obligations and parties and church music and gift-unwrapping-and-exclaiming and eggnog-obliteration, get to step oustide in the cold, dark night for just a few minutes and just...breathe. Close your eyes and breathe in how quiet it is. And know I'm thinking about you with love.

And here's a song that I think is better for the mood of this evening than any Christmas song. Given to you in a scene from the incredible, incredible, incredibly lovely* film Once--a scene which depicts that exact moment when people cease being strangers and recognize that together they can create something miraculous. Because isn't that what it's all about?

(Wait through the first minute or so of the scene to get to the full song; and watch the whole interaction from start to finish--both musically and emotionally it's more than worth it.)

So, to all those celebrating and not celebrating tonight:

You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice
You have a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

With love,

Syl

*Yes, the film deserves three repetitions of the word "incredible." As well as the words "smart," "tender," "non-cliché," and "quietly perfect." But as the linked review says, words are unable to do it justice. Please go rent it.