Evergreen Gifts

On a walk among luminaria, I found evergreen magic.

In the city block of my Phoenix neighborhood, on Christmas Eve and Christmas night we observe a tradition of lighting luminaria, votive candles in white sacks, placed along the edges of our sidewalks. I took a walk in the dark of Christmas evening to enjoy both the luminaria and decorations on houses. Via my earphones, I listened to “Song of the Evergreens” by Kostia, from the Narada Christmas Collection album, a majestic and panoramic instrumental.

I turned my head to the right and saw a house decked in sparkling red, green and golden lights. A large snowman twinkled on the lawn. We desert dwellers who grew up in the north country find ways to remember snowy magic under our palm trees. My light purple jacket warded off the evening chill. I wore my favorite Christmas scarf, black, lined with gold threads and bright red poinsettias and ribbons. My heart was flooded with feelings – awe, gratitude, pleasure, peace, and joy. I turned my head to the left and saw three golden reindeer, twinkling with inner lights, graceful, fragile in the arched porch of another neighbor’s house.

I knew that someone else could walk my street and not see the beauty, maybe even disdain it in the spirit of Scrooge. Bah Humbug! We see through our filters.

I was aware that the luminaria and decorations didn’t cause my feelings. But in the quiet of the night, amidst the glittering lights of the season, inspired by sacred music, I touched feelings that live in our hearts, all of the time. Mystical feelings. Magical feelings. Luminaria of the soul.

Evergreen gifts at the heart of a changing, kaleidoscopic world.

© Linda Sandel Pettit, Ed.D., 2022
Photo by Linda Sandel Pettit

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Linda Sandel Pettit, Ed.D. is an internationally known mentor to intuitive, creative women in the helping professions. She assists her clients to thrive in their work and to share their wisdom through speaking, writing, and content creation.

Linda offers sanctuaries, intimate small group programs, for women healers who want to become more visible and effective, and for women book writers ready for an intensive developmental editing laboratory.

Linda holds a doctorate in counseling psychology, a master’s degree in counselor education and a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Visit www.lindasandelpettit.com to learn more about her programs, individual mentoring, podcast, and array of masterclasses.