Winter Wonderland

I have never really liked winter.

Vancouver born and raised, I'm not used to really cold temperatures. As for snow, we generally keep ours on the mountains, where you can go and visit it whenever you want, and then drive for a few minutes and come back home to bare streets. So finding myself spending a lot of time in Quebec and Ontario has been quite an experience. I'm not used to a world of heavy coats and boots. But, now I have a coat that looks like a sleeping bag and boots that are utilitarian and always covered in salt.

I do however love Christmas. For me, it always meant lots of decorating and baking, in preparation for gathering family and friends. A time of rum and eggnog in my glass and my children round the tree. I enjoy every moment. This year was to be different. My children would each be at opposite ends of the earth and I would be in between. That was until we got a wonderful invitation to travel to Eastern Europe to be with my son and his love. We bought tickets and before long we were off, my packsack laden with small gifts, cookie cutters, and an icing set. Sort of a Mama Claus.

It was there that I got a whole new appreciation for winter. These people know how to make the most of it. The squares were filled with christmas markets. Holiday trees and twinkling lights gave no doubt as to the season. Outdoor grills were covered with sausages, pans of perogies, and pots of sauerkraut. Breads were baking in the wood fired ovens. The air was rich with the scent of hot wine. So many of the things that I love about summer...farmer's markets, sidewalk cafes, gathering for a glass of cool wine....just layer on some warm clothes and mull the wine with oranges and spices. A true winter wonderland.

And, just when I thought it couldn't get any better...it did. On Christmas Eve my daughter and her husband arrived, having flown half way around the world to surprise us, knowing that nothing could make me happier than for us all to be together. Oh, maybe one thing. When they asked me to read "The Night Before Christmas", just as I have always done on Christmas Eve. 

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles." Author Unknown

Thank You

A dear friend's father passed away this week. It was a life well lived and in his final hours, as in his life, he was surrounded by his large and loving family. What most of us would hope for.

A religious man, we thought it appropriate to visit a church and light a candle in his memory. We walked the chilly Warsaw Stare Miasta from church to church. Pausing at each doorway to remove our hats, before taking in the grandeur. But, the candles remained elusive.

After visiting several, we entered the last church and found a small group of nuns seated in the pews. We had observed them over the past couple of days, walking in their brown habits, throughout the village.

The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, or Felician Sisters, are a branch of the Third Order of St Francis. The active-contemplative order was founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1855 and named for a shrine of St. Felix, a 16th century Franciscan saint especially devoted to children. The Felician Sisters have always sought to harmonize a deep spiritual and community life with dedication to diverse acts of mercy. Their Foundress, Mother Mary Angela Trszkowska, was beatified in 1993.

We quietly took seats. Just then the room was darkened, lit only by the lights of the christmas tree placed at the front. A moment later the room was filled with sweet voices, as their song rose to the high ceiling and filled the space. And then, as suddenly as it began, it was over, and they stood and made their way out.

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you", that would suffice. Meister Eckhart

Five minutes earlier or later and we would have missed this special moment. There were no candles to light, but we knew we'd found the place to say our prayers of gratitude for his life...and for ours.