Pathlight: Enjoying the Simple Things This Holiday Season

Written by Annie Wenger-Nabigon Ph.D., RSW on 24 December 2014

“… it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all..” Laura Ingalls Wilder

Annie Wenger-Nabigon, Author of Pathlight: Living the good life

Here we are again, coming into another Christmas season, another time of the year where the Winter Solstice takes us farther away from the warmth of the sun, and the cold realities of the weather are settling in for another few months or so.

Early in the mornings I see the ice collecting on my temperature gauge outside my window, which faces the tall spruce and tamarack trees lining the back yard. The winter sun is low behind those trees, casting shadows across the snow covered expanse between the house and the small forest where little rabbits hide under the brush. I imagine sometimes the lynx go hunting there for a meal!

Indoors on those frosty mornings I appreciate the warmth, and the cup of steaming coffee my husband makes for me, and the quietness as I anticipate facing another day of being out and about, busy with the endeavors of my life.

I see many people who are working hard to get ready for the excitement of their Christmas holidays, and through the connections of phone and Facebook I follow the activities of my friends and family members far away who are getting ready for gatherings and parties, Christmas programs and music concerts, eagerly preparing for the feasts that will gather them together and renew connections. Here at home, we are preparing to travel so see some special little grandchildren, for whom the magic of Christmas is still fresh and wonderful. They are an inspiration!

Along with all the hard work that goes into this busy season, I find it so important to remember that this is a good time to slow down, settle into some quiet reflection on the year that is quickly passing away, and think about what is really important.

This is a season where we are bombarded with advertisements designed to create a sense of need inside of us. Young and old we find ourselves longing for the enticement of tantalizing objects flashing before us on the TV screen, and in the catalogs and on-line offerings of all the desired objects of the marketplace. It is easy to begin thinking that Christmas is only about getting and giving gifts – acquiring the 50 inch TVs, the iPods and video games, the clothing and acquisitions that mark us as having “made it”, as “belonging” to something which will make us wonderful and special.

It is important to remember that the small things are treasures, also. After all, the original Christmas gifts, if we believe the story of what the Three Wise Men brought to a Baby Jesus, were very small packages – some gold, a container of rare oil called Myrrh, and the sweet pungent gum called “frankincense”, which comes from the sap of the small, thorny Commiphora tree. (In ancient times it was used by the Egyptians in preservation of bodies.) The stories surrounding these gifts are many, and one of my favorite Christmas memories from childhood is the song, “We Three Kings of Orient Are…” The song tells of the journey of three mysterious wise men who traveled from Asia Minor to see a small child lying in a hay manager in a livestock stall in poverty stricken Bethlehem, which at that time was under the harsh rule of the Roman Empire.

Conditions in our world today are harsh at many places, and many people are facing the tragedies of death, disease and overwhelming loses at a time when pressures surround them to be happy and cheerful and full of anticipation. It is difficult, in the midst of big sorrows, to find things to be happy about, but that is one of the triumphs of human spirit – we humans have the ability to step beyond our immediate difficulties and keep a perspective that not all things are as they seem. We can see the bigger picture and find ways to rise above our difficulties, if we have the right kind of supports around us.

It is at times like these that the “sweet, simple things” can give us hope, and some small peace and comfort, even in the cold, and dark, and in the face of fear and grief. It is important to have sympathies for those around us who suffer at this time of year, and remember that it is the small things in life that are important – the little pleasures and memories, the kind words and helping hands, the smiles and small gifts of remembrance. Big presents can’t really give us what our hearts desire, which is love.

May you find peace, joy, and LOVE at this holiday season, and warmth in your heart that you can share. You are the key to bringing light to this world, just as three wise men long, long ago brought small, valuable gifts. The Christmas story has been lighting a way for so many ever since. Always remember, you are the most precious gift this season can offer!!

Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW
Pathlight@OntarioNewsNorth.com

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ANNIE RECOMMENDS:

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Author of Pathlight; Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW is originally from the U.S., earning her Canadian Citizenship in 2013. Annie & her Husband live in Pic River First Nation. Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW has been a cinical social worker since 1979 working in mental health, family therapy, and addictions services. She is a doctoral candidate at Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON. She works full-time as an Adult Mental Health and Addictions Therapist at the Marathon office of North of Superior Counseling Programs. Annie also works part-time as a consultant for LYNX, owned by her husband Herb Nabigon, MSW. Herb provides traditional Anishnabek teachings and healing workshops for both Native and non-Native organizations. Together he and Annie provide training and education to professionals on a wide range of topics blending mainstream and traditional approaches in healing. They also provide cultural safety and anti-racism training.

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