Christmas – Connections

Hello All,

Merry Christmas! It is quiet in the house at almost 4:00 a.m. – several hours before Bob and Gene get up. It is just Geoffrey and me – and probably George’s Christmas spirit coming to visit, since Geoffrey woke me up at the oh-dark-thirty-time George used to. Geoffrey is eating his very early breakfast and purring. Soon he will demand to be petted, a demand to which I will happily (and sleepily) comply. I cut on the lights decorating the 10-foot tree, so they are twinkling quite merrily. The lights made me think about this story my bestie Pat sent to me – a story about Christmas and the importance of connections.

You may have read or heard about it – in the Washington Post (where these quotes are from) or on TV. It all started in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood in Baltimore County, Maryland last November. Mr. Matt Riggs hung a strand of white lights between his house and his neighbor’s house across the street. Kim Morton had been struggling with depression and anxiety, the pandemic, and was grieving the loss of a loved one. Mr. Riggs knew this and wanted her to know that, despite the pandemic, they were always connected. He was “reaching out…..to literally brighten her world.”

Mr. Riggs started a Christmas miracle. Neighbor after neighbor started doing the same thing, “stretching lines of Christmas lights from one side of the street to the other.” Ms. Morton said, “The lights were a physical sign of connection and love.” Mr. Riggs said, “What blows my mind is that it was all organic. It just happened. There was no planning. It just grew out of everyone’s desire for beauty and joy and connection.” By the end, over 75% of the residents participated. And it didn’t stop there, other surrounding streets in the area were soon bright with lights.

More exciting, it didn’t stop after last year – this year the neighbors have done it again, and furthermore, agreed to do it for years to come!

Connections. Always critical – and maybe even more so at this time of year. The holidays are a time of family and friends – and the pandemic has put a dent in this, making trips more difficult, and people are staying apart to keep each other safe. But physical distance does not mean emotional distancing. We are all connected by our hearts – our heart strings, to go along with the neighborhood’s string of lights. We are only as far away as a call – an email – a text – a letter – a blog. What a blessing to know this.

Thank you for being one of my connections. Thank you for the gift of you.

May the sound of merriment and joy be loud on this Christmas day. May your holidays be bright with light, laughter and love. May we always stay connected.

Phyl