City sidewalks busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style… so the song goes. Excitement in the air, the lights the displays all a wonderful part of Christmas. Happiness and joy given to strangers as you casually meet. It’s the way Christmas is and should be.
I haven’t researched the beginnings of the “Christmas” display decorating origins, I would imagine it is as old as Christmas itself. My thoughts at the moment are geared more towards the joys and feeling of good cheer rather than the decorations.
I’m setting here wondering and realizing the feelings one has towards the people and places in their lives. They are very personal and not easy to explain or sufficient when put into words, written or spoken.
These feeling are at the strongest for myself when surrounded by nature, the outdoors. Mother nature has a way of invoking the strongest of emotions, personal thoughts, needs and desires. I’m sure this is based in the fact of being raised in the heartlands of America. Surrounded by prairies, country scenes, snow covered fields of simple views. No grand mountain range to overpower the simplest of nature.
I think about the feelings we have in our everyday lives. The struggles we all go through. The heartache and pain of despair. The not understanding of “why”. Why are these “things” happening to “me”. Why must I suffer through these terrible trials and tribulations of life? My thoughts always come back to, thank goodness. Thank goodness I have experienced the struggles and pains of living. If one didn’t what would you compare the joys and happiness too? Could you even recognize joys and happiness? Being thankful for what you have now, knowing you could, at any moment have less. I have always believed the mistakes I have made were the most important part of being able to learn and grow. So it makes since to me that the pains we experience are the most important part of being able to enjoy. You can’t have one without the other.
Ok, so what in the world does this have to do with this picture and “Christmas on the Prairie”? (thought I slipped off the edge there for a minute didn’t ya) Here’s the deal. It’s about knowing our roots. Knowing where we came from. The beginnings. There were no grand city streets decorated in holiday style. Millions of watts of power illuminating city block after city block. No Grizwalds (Christmas Vacation), no Buddy Hall (Deck The Halls). Just the winter scene. The snow covered prairies. The grasses rising up through the cold icy grounds. The simple view of the season. They must of still envoked the joys and happiness we struggle to find today in the vast array of lights and decorations. If the country lost power and went dark, would Christmas still be the same?
Standing, whether alone or with loved ones, surrounded by the nature of the season should do it for any of us. For the simple fact, at any given moment we could have less.
