Columnist Carl Kline: Hoping for a calm and blissful holiday season

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We brought in our Christmas tree yesterday. When I finish writing this column, we will need to decide whether to leave it in the smaller (and a little shaky) stand, or move it to the heavier and more stable one, that we finally found hidden in the shed (after the third, thorough search). I realize now, I moved the stand last year, thinking I would make it easier to find.

The Christmas candles are in the windows. Last night they all seemed to be timed right. Perhaps they are now on track to go on at 5 and off at 10. We separated them into two groups the first evening so we could set all their timers as close to the same time as possible. I knocked one of mine over in the process and it will always be a late bloomer, as it took a while to replace the battery that fell out and get the top on again.

The Christmas list is slowing coming together. When family is half way across the country, the boxes have to go out early or they won’t arrive for Christmas. A few gifts are beginning to accumulate in the dining room and others are fixed in our minds. We could always just send money. Or like others we know, we could agree not to exchange gifts but contribute to worthy nonprofits. But half the fun of our Christmas preparations is selecting just the right inexpensive gift for each person that will bring a laugh or smile to their face.

The smells in the house yesterday were wondrous. The cakes coming out of the oven, destined as gifts for friends and extended family, left a lingering aroma for hours. Not much of a cook or baker myself, I’m often in awe of my wife as she prepares to make something, having already checked to make sure she has all the necessary ingredients. I often forget to look to make sure I have coconut, or wheat germ, as I’m already half finished making my breakfast granola.

When I went down the stairs recently to get my morning coffee, I heard soft music in the background. Arriving at the radio in the kitchen, over the coffee maker, the soft music turned loud as the one carol ended and a choir began to belt out “Joy to the World.” I don’t usually feel that joyful, just out of bed, before breakfast, no shower or even a wet wash cloth across my face.

So begins our preparations for Christmas! It’s all about preparation! “Prepare Ye!”

Apparently the origin of the English word “prepare” comes from the 1500s. The original meaning was the idea of “making oneself ready beforehand.” This idea developed both an internal and external dimension before the end of the century; “bring into a particular mental state with reference to the future;” and later, “make (food) ready to eat.”

When it comes to Christmas (and so much else), we do pretty well with the external preparation. But I’m not convinced the internal dimension goes as well. We had a rather frightening experience Friday at a store in Sioux Falls. I heard someone shouting. Coming out of an aisle I saw this man with a large box, slamming it against the floor, yelling something about his Christmas present, swearing a blue streak. As I approached, he looked directly at me and called me a vulgar name, as the store manager motioned me to leave the area. She was on the phone calling the police, as he had the attention of everyone in the store, most everyone frightened and hiding in the aisles.

Domestic violence often increases over the holidays. The stress of shopping, finances and planning can make volatile personalities more aggressive. Alcohol and drugs are generally more available and being home all day from work, often in a more confining space, can make things worse.

It’s still early December. As I write this, we are in the second Sunday of Advent. If we work at preparing our inner life for the season, the outside manifestations will fall into place. May I suggest moments of silence and holding family members and friends in mind and heart. Gifts will follow! May I suggest music and nature to soothe the spirit and restore inner harmony, as the trials of the season challenge and disrupt. Gifts will result! May I suggest a daily routine of meditation, or a time for prayers of gratitude. Gifts will develop! “Prepare Ye!”