is that it grows in ever larger ripples when shared.
One shares with another, then that heart touched by love shares, too.One becomes two. Two becomes four. And four becomes eight.
Not every heart which receives, gives, of course.
Who of us has not received compassion and felt the better for it?
We are let into a busy traffic line, and we wave thanks.
But do we give it? Do we let another in somewhere else down the line?
Or do we just go on our way, too much in a hurry to return the favor to a stranger?
Have we received compassion, wisdom, kindness repeatedly from a friend, but then have been hurt by that same friend?
Can we find it in ourselves, that after taken so much, to give one thing ...
the benefit of the doubt,
to trust in the past acts of friendship to give ...
forgiveness?
That is the secret of Boxing Day,
celebrated in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Bermuda, and the United Kingdom ...
to give from the surplus that we have received on Christmas Day.
One of the clues to Boxing Day's origins can be found in the Christmas Carol, "Good King Wenceslas."
Wenceslas, who was Duke of Bohemia in the early 10th century, was surveying his land on
St. Stephen's Day — Dec. 26 —
when he saw a poor man gathering wood in the middle of a snowstorm.
Moved, the King gathered up surplus food and wine
and carried them through the blizzard to the peasant's door.
Christmas love and magic is better when shared.
and carried them through the blizzard to the peasant's door.
Christmas love and magic is better when shared.
Just like laughter is somehow more than doubled when the joke or funny movie is shared with a friend.
What is more beautiful than a unicorn in the snow?
Two unicorns racing through the flurry of snowflakes together.
**
Batman as the good king with Robin:
Thank you, Roland for highlighting what I think is a great tradition and yes we celebrate it in Canada. The title caught my eye right away! Hope you are doing well! We had a quiet Christmas, and watched a lot of Dr. Who. . .
ReplyDeleteBack to work as always today. Whew! Yes, Boxing Day is a fine tradition that should be done by every country.
ReplyDeleteI watched DESPICABLE ME one and two. :-) Intellectual me!
I always assumed that the Boxing Day tradition was celebrated everywhere. Learn something everyday!
ReplyDeleteHave a good one, Roland. And stay safe on the road :)
Wendy:
ReplyDeleteIt should be a universal tradition. You have a wonderful last week of 2014, too! :-)