The Chairman was relaxed this morning, and his jolly spirit joined the mild breeze that awakened Refuge Farm with fresh spirit on a gorgeous holiday morning. The sun shone bright over the Piedmont, framed by thin but prominent strands of bright clouds that mimicked the gentle curves of the holly strung with merry enthusiasm on the rafters of the Barn.

Lights illuminate the tree in the great room up in the Big House at the top of the hill. The large Santa sculpture is poised for action from hi position atop the ancient Korean chest of rich wood and white brass.

Our friends at the North American Air Defense (NORAD) Alert Center are tracking the course of seasonal deliveries already in progress on the other side of the Date Line. The memory of crossing it is still bright in memory, headed east or west amid the endless blue waves that wash our world in whitecaps of celebration.

There will be a ceremony here at The Farm later, joining two of us in the partnership and union of marriage. It is an appropriate date for a wedding, the Eve we celebrate in unison with hundreds of millions of others around the spinning globe.

The Chairman told us to hold our thoughts about the New Year for another time. There will be plenty of that, and turning points we can leave behind in the troubled wake of an Old Year that held such emotion and concern.

We are going to march forward with a song in our hearts. “Silent Night” will wait until after sunset, when the gentle strands of ancient song ease the transition to the new things of tomorrow.

Today, while bathed in the rich light of joy? Perhaps a toast of bright champagne to celebrate good times, good company, and the prospect of a new year with challenge and certainty about the bounty of life and laughter.

And that important component we will carry with us, always at ready and regardless of circumstance: Love.

Copyright 2021 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com