Eleven Pipers, A Late Bloomer, and Back to Normal

 11 Pipers Piping  represents the eleven faithful apostles.

This morning I noticed that my "Christmas" Cactus was finally blooming. Not sure if the plant did not the get the memo, had lost track of time, or was a bit slow (as in "touched", "special", "challenged"). I have friends who have "Thanksgiving" cactuses - the variety that blooms a month or so earlier than Christmas. Perhaps there is a type that waits until New Year's Day to burst forth in colorful glory. Not so much for me. My plant waits until the 10th day after Christmas. Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come.

These days, I am struggling with the tiresome exercise of taking down and putting away the decorations I found so joyous in late November, re-configuring the living room furniture once the tree is removed, and dealing with the challenge of what to do with the strange gadgets I received as gifts. 

We have all made our declarations for the new year. There are the promises of benevolence, tolerance, self improvement, and the annual pledge to exercise more and eat less. The later that traditionally fails to last at most, until the end of January. Of course in 2 months, we can reconfirm these personal vows as sacrifices during the season of Lent, but I digress.

I am often accused of being cynical, a trait I find underrated. To paraphrase my favorite line from Macbeth: The Holidays are ". . . but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets [it's] hour upon the stage,  And then is heard no more. It is a [time of much a do endured] by idiots, full of sound and fury,  Signifying nothing.” Who knew Shakespeare would have a character so pessimistic?

We pickup where we were in late November and resume our normality. I cannot speak for everyone but I question what "normal" is anymore. At this stage of my life, I lack sound and the fury.  The Bard aside, I am hoping 2022 will be a good year for everyone.

Nine Ladies Dancing

 9 Ladies Dancing represent the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galations 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”

Being an agnostic, I am not a student of the Bible, the Holy Scriptures. No doubt, there are many who are sure I am doomed to Hell. Unless someone saves my soul, I am cursed to cross the Rubicon. But I digress.

Like a chalk board (or whiteboard these days), the slate has been wiped clean. In reality, the 1st of January is just another day. Well, it is a bank holiday (as they would say in Britain). But then so are Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. However, there is much saddled on New Year's Day.

In the south, we traditionally celebrate the day with a meal of Black Eyed Peas with ham hocks (representing coins) and Collards (representing dollar bills). I'm not sure whether we think this meal will truly bring wealth or we just enjoy good food. After all down here (in the Gullah culture) we can also seek prosperity through Iwa or the procurement an Intention Doll (aka Voo Doo Doll). However, in all honesty, later in the year when some wealth comes our way, is it an Ah-Ah moment, when we stop and give credit to a meal we enjoyed several months ago (or our reliance on a bit of Voo Doo)? 

So here we are with our list of resolutions, those good intentions we plan to achieve in the next 12 months. Blessed are those with high aspirations, for they will bask in the folly of great expectations. However, they also get credit for the faith of rose colored glasses.

So I, like many others, will make that list of things that will improve my life, lighten my spirits, and save my soul. Keeping in mind that good intentions pave many roads, and not all of them lead to Hell. So there is hope.