Last Friday, I turned the page on my wall calendar to reveal December’s photo of a young pine, its boughs heaped with snow. As if someone snuck out from behind the tree and tossed a snowball at my forehead, it hit me: Little Pine! November had been a trying month for me, and I hadn’t given a thought to his annual appearance.
If you’ve been with the High on Happiness family for a while, you know about Little Pine. He’s a tree that lives in a forest, where every year at this time, he and his forest friends prepare for a great and merry Festival to celebrate the day the sun begins it’s travels northward, beaming steadily growing light.
The story of Little Pine and the Festival of Light is told in three volumes that I wrote several years ago. Reading about Little Pine’s adventures seems to have become a holiday tradition for many of his fans. In response to requests from some of them, I republished the first volume in installments on my blog last year. And this year, I’m happy to say, I’m republishing volume two. It starts on December 1 and runs through winter’s first day, the Solstice, when the sun begins it’s return.
Only this year, it had a delay. My internet went down, and Little Pine’s readers will have a little catching up to do. If this letter is reaching you later than usual, the reason’s the same. But the frustration came with a silver lining. It gave me time to make sure Little Pine was all spiffed up and ready to go.
opened the file and began reading. It had been a couple years since I read through the story, and frankly, the first chapter of it kind of stunned me.
As the preparations for the Festival began, Little Pine was remembering his friend Red Leaf, an oak leaf who played a part in last year’s story before he left his leaf-body behind and went Home. I had spent Thanksgiving with a family who lost a loved one recently, and the same week brought news that a friend of mine had unexpectedly passed away. I felt Little Pine’s loss.
Yet that part of the story let me think about how the holidays are a time of accentuated feelings, and that for many of us the memories of lost loved ones bring a touch of sadness, even grief. If you’re one of them, let me tell you a little story.
A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband sobbing. He had just lost a close friend. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry you’re so sad,” she said, putting her arms around him.
“I’m not crying because I’m sad,” he said. “I’m crying because I’m happy. For the first time, I just realized how much I loved him!”
The deepest feelings we have always rise from love. Let the reality of that soothe you. Love remains.
That’s part of the message in Little Pine’s story, along with the tales of magical delight, and wonder, and joy.
I cordially invite you to see for yourself why Little Pine’s fans have asked to hear his stories, year after year. This year’s series begins right here. Who knows? It could become one of your December traditions.
May you begin this holiday season with a light and joyous heart.
And for those who are spinning in its sometimes overwhelming whirl, I wish you strength and a sense of humor.
Warmly,
Susan
Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay