12.15.07
Celebrating Today
A rather good electronic imitation of chimes rang from my
phone, persuading me to get up from the tender unconsciousness of sleep. “Something *stretch* seems *stretch* to be
special *stretch* about today,” I said to myself. Hmmm…
I silenced the chimes and viewed my reminders. December 16, birth date of Ludwig van Beethoven,
Jane Austen, and George Santayana, it read. Haha I know, I should begin storing birthdates of living people, but I don’t
do this for nothing. I make it a point
to do or read something about these past figures on their birthdays for knowledge or
amusement, and to commemorate their lives in my own little way. It’s not such an absurd idea… if people
can observe Christ’s fake birthday, why not these real birthdays?
Thinking out loud and branching to another limb of thought…
of course, I am not comparing Christ with mere men, nor am I trying to be some
grinch… uh, where was I?
Now I recall a line that the “Gentleman of Varona” scrawled
in manly messy penmanship on the cover of a CD. It went something like
“May you
have Christmas in your heart everyday.” I still deem it to be one of the most proper Christmas wishes since it
does not necessarily conspire with the December 25 fabrication. What I failed to add was, “may you also have
His death in your heart everyday,” since it is after all what He requires us to
celebrate and remember.
Another limb… Santayana… an atheist.
I’m wondering… why is it that most of us have
an instant detestation towards anti-Semitic public or historical personalities, and yet
if we are told one is an atheist, we are not at all bothered with that fact?
Now this bothers me…
Okay, back to my day… Carrying the
something-seems-to-be-special-about-today feeling with me to the boulevard, I
walked steadily in meditation. The sun
was just peeking out from the distant hills when it began drizzling… it
reminded me of my friend Jeremiah’s “sparkling shimmering golden rain”
as the
sunlight burst through the clouds like nature’s Symphony No. 9.
Ode to Joy, ode to joy!
I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the sky. In that moment, I
realized what today’s significance is… it’s just another ordinary miracle to
celebrate… just like any other day!
