Holiday Greeting
by Jack Walsh
(originally published in December 1999 newsletter)
Another holiday season is upon us, and these shortest of days are becoming festively colored with the sights and sounds of the joy in loving and giving. Faces and countenances flushed with cold and excitement are a common sight, and folks otherwise reticent to express their feelings become, for a short time, revelers under December's mysterious sway. This time of minimal daylight and cold inclement nights paradoxically transforms people's behavior, and they supplement mother nature's inability to supply enough warmth with a compensating increase in the warmth of their hearts and the glow of their demeanor.
The woods, however, are quieter; and long brisk walks are marked more by silence and a lack of wildlife activity than otherwise. Nevertheless, a saunter onto a familiar but seasonally changed trail enlivens the mind to thoughts singularly in keeping with this season of giving; and we compensate the quiet of the landscape with the increased activity of our minds. Our festive generosity grows into the plan to plant a native tree in our own backyard, or becomes a private pledge to volunteer for a Lynn Woods tree planting activity in the spring. We become aware and solicitous of the needs of wildlife, and our thoughts of holiday cheer extend to all of our fellow creatures.
I wish you all a safe and joyous holiday season.