Potholders

Friday, December 23, 2022

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.)

8 comments:

  1. May your celebration include all the lights! Happy Christmas, Bonny!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not surprised that so many cultures and religions have light as a central focus at this time of year -- we can all use more of it! Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas, with all the hedgehogs and raccoons!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wishing you peace, joy, love, and light. I love that teacher you described, even now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The return of the light is something we can all celebrate and my little pagan heart loves this post! God Jul, Bonny!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wishing you and your family all the best this holiday season! May it be filled with light, joy, & peace!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Debbie! I am wishing all the same for you and your family!

      Delete
  6. I hope you have a wonderful week with your sons and your husband! Filled with lots of good food and laughter :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a beautiful lesson for the season, Bonny! (And a beautiful post.) I took a few days "off" from my computer, so just seeing your post now after the "main event." It's especially lovely to think about light . . . right now. XO

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment! :-)