Slice of Life: Afterglow

I am continuing to enjoy a book of Advent devotionals, Christ the Light of the World, by Thomas Kinkade. My bookmark in this small devotional book is a poem created by Margaret Simon for SJT at Reflections on the Teche. She wrote an image poem for each word of advent and I've enjoyed revisiting them as I've read the short devotionals in my book. I especially loved her poem for week 4:

Love 

leans in for a gentle hug

warming intuition 

and keeps glowing 

Kinkade refers to the time after Christmas as "afterglow", one of his favorite times of the year. I too love the gentle time between Christmas and New Year's Day, times when I can savor waking up early and sitting peacefully in the light of the Christmas tree. I spent most of yesterday reading, warming my hands and heart with a mug of hot chocolate. I'm old school and leave my tree up until January when I tenderly remove each ornament and think of the memories associated with each one as I pack them away.

In Kinkade's devotional for Week Five, Day 29, he speaks of the tension between doing (the active life) and being (the contemplative life). This was especially meaningful for me since "be" is my OLW for 2025. 

Kinkade writes, "Once we reach the day after Christmas, the world of doing takes a grand time-out. . .  Savoring the afterglow of Christmas is a learned art and one worth the creative effort. " 

I declared a pajama stay-at-home day today. I delighted in watching a Christmas movie accompanied by a mug of cinnamon apple spice tea. I also visited with family and friends via phone calls.  

How have you embraced being and not doing in these days after Christmas? How are you basking in the love and afterglow of this season?