Wichita Eagle
By Dave Knadler
After a certain age, Christmas becomes a season of regret: The loss of loved ones over the years, the loss of friends, the loss of youth. The loss of all those old toys that would now fetch a fortune on eBay. The sad truth is that the best Christmas in middle age cannot match the least one of childhood. But the important thing is to pretend otherwise.
I think of this every year when my neighbors and I come forth to set out our luminarias. It’s a tradition in Crown Heights and College Hill: One weekend in December, we grudgingly honor a pact to line our ordinary streets with points of light. I thought it a little goofy when I first moved here, and kind of burdensome to keep those candles lit in a freezing drizzle. But I’m a true believer now.
You take one paper bag with a candle in it, it’s not much to look at. You take hundreds of them and put them in a row, and the effect is magical. That well-worn way to work becomes a runway to heaven. I guess it’s that way with acts of kindness too. A single one can get lost in the shuffle, blown out by a passing SUV. But multiplied, they change the world.
I know; it’s a cliche. Peace on Earth, and all that. But our time here is short and contrary to popular belief, our opportunities to do the right thing are not infinite. If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know this is true. Last year at this time I was talking to my sister on the phone. She wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be able to make it home for Christmas. I made a joke or two and told her I’d see her in the spring. And I did — at her funeral. It wasn’t the first time in my life I thought of all the candles I’d left unlit.
So, yeah: Do the deed. Put out your luminarias, and not just at Christmas. You’re not going to get a pat on the back for each one, but maybe kindness without publicity is the best kindness of all. And sometimes candles will burn all through a long December night. Maybe yours will too.
Dave Knadler is a freelance writer who lives in Crown Heights. His story and others can be found on dothedeed.org.
© The Wichita Eagle, 2009
Comments on this entry are closed.