Full of Light

When my boys were in kindergarten they had a teacher, Mrs. M, who tried to be inclusive of everyone in the classroom. This was 25 years ago and the principal considered this a revolutionary concept. It was a stretch during November and December as there were children who celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Solstice, and Rohatsu. (Just in case you're not familiar, Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights, and Rohatsu is the celebration of the Buddha's enlightenment.) The clever teacher had a meeting with interested parents and during the meeting, we all agreed that one thing these celebrations had in common was that each one incorporated Light in different ways. Mrs. M designed a month-long series of lessons about different cultures, different religions, and how all these holidays were celebrated with Light. She relied a lot on parents to volunteer in the classroom, prepare special food, talk about their own customs and made sure that everyone was included. It was educational for me as I knew nothing about Kwanzaa, Diwali, and Rohatsu, and I think it was both fun and educational for all the students. 

So I still think of this season as the Season of Light. No matter whether your own celebrations include the lights from the North Pole Weather Observatory and Mrs. Claus' greenhouse, the Hanukkah menorah, Kwanzaa kinara candles, Diwali oil lamps, or anything else, I hope that your hearts, homes, and holidays are full of Light. 

(And maybe even some hallowed hedgehogs and a reverent raccoon in your manger.)