If you are not familiar with the line Bob Haskins delivers in Hook, take a mere 20 seconds to click on this video and watch him with Dustin Hoffman:
My friend Robin and I were celebrating Epiphany yestereve and recalled this scene with much appropriate delight. Now we wish each other a very "Happy Apostrophe!" during our Epiphany celebrations.
As I grew up, my dad's mom shared her beautiful faith and cultural traditions with me. At the time I did not know it, but the Russian Orthodox Christmas coincides with Epiphany, the celebration of the last of 12 days of Christmas and the moment when the magi found and worshipped the newborn Jesus of Nazareth. This year, I found an infinity of fulfillment in my celebration of the 12 days of Christmas (which occur post December 25th) and the holiday season ending today, much more than I have in the last several years of dodging the systematized, commercialized wallet-raping from well before Thanksgiving through Boxing Day.
A new friend of mine named Lisa surprised me with this living wreath of considerable size. I had met her only just, but she came to my house and put the finishing touches on it as we found its just-so place in my sitting room. The life is almost gone from it now, but it has been a faithful companion this holiday season, bringing me many tears of joy and moments of beautiful reverence. I especially love its mortality. Who knew? A living wreath. I had always wanted real holly berries in a wreath, and I got them along with a grape vine core, evergreen boughs, pinecone ornaments, a giant bow... all gathered, collected and prepared by Lisa.
Many of you have given me such stories this season and in past years... thank you, my friends! This season was indeed magical and healing and full of wonder. Cheers to each of you who is responsible for its festivities and its wonders!