A Holiday Moment

It’s that time of year to connect with family and friends, a tradition that sweetens the season for us.  I hope you and those you love are preparing for your favorite holiday traditions.

This year I visited gardens in Virginia, in the Mediterranean and our local hospital garden.  I recently had an experience I thought helped me reflect on the spirit of the holidays and I’d like to share it with you.

My holiday moment

I’m a big fan of peppermint, full-on bright, shocking, intense peppermint.  I like it in my candy, my coffee, my ice cream and in the variety of geraniums in my garden. The striped colors, the flavor, and the significance of its appearance in this season, I like it.

So on a recent visit to the mega-grocery, I was intent on purchasing several ounces of crushed peppermint.  What to my wondering eyes did I see- the seasonal supply was gone!  I experienced my first holiday grumpy moment. So I thought I’ll just buy candy canes and crush them myself. Off to the holiday aisle for my simple solution. I found candy canes, actually, the shape was candy canes but the flavors were, cherry, watermelon, blueberry, green apple, root beer, orange soda, Dr. Pepper, Hawaiian Punch, Smarties, Jelly Belly, and Oreo!

I didn’t find peppermint candy canes!  I had my second holiday grumpy moment and it lasted several moments as I walked up and down the aisles looking for the right, true holiday treat.  Who wants candy canes in all those weird flavors and wrong colors? What child should be exposed to such unorthodox image of this special holiday treat? It was wrong, it was shocking,  and how in such a mega size grocery could my view of Christmas be so lacking?

Defeated I made my way to the checkout.  I was ready for that cashier to ask me “did you find everything?”  I was going to let them know just how they had wronged me.  I grumped to the counter and there was a giant bucket of BOB’s Candy Canes. Twice the size of the other flavors, prominent in placement and absolutely beautiful.  Then I had my holiday epiphany.  Indeed my ideas of the holiday are prominent, ever present and promoted. But my flavor of celebration is not the only one and not the only way it can be done.

This season of celebrations offers us many chances to gather together and be festive. From Nov. 1 – Jan 15 there are 29 holidays observed by 7 of the world’s major religions.  And while I like to think I live with an awareness of individuality and diversity, a simple candy cane reminds me it is always a journey in this life. So as the new year dawns with possibilities for discoveries of this beautiful world I wish you a glorious holiday season and a beautiful new year.

Nature transcends all

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