Silent Morning

Sean and I ran six miles through Palo Alto this morning and didn’t see one car (moving) on the road.  Not one.  On any other day, this may have felt eerie or unsettling, but on this Christmas morning, it felt comforting and special and peaceful.

For those who celebrate Christmas and those who don’t, the national holiday gives us all a beautiful excuse to slow down…to eat a steaming breakfast with our families…to make a call to a loved one far away…to show gratitude for all that we have…to find a way to help someone who doesn’t have as much…and to find peace in ourselves so we can spread peace in this world.  All of this is so amazing and so simple and for many of us, far too rare.

My dad sums up this message in a simple action every Christmas.  Before dinner, instead of saying a prayer (which doesn’t necessarily feel authentic in our home), he plays a spectacular song.  It’s a choir, lifted up by a robust orchestra, singing a simple refrain over and over: “Let there be peace on earth…and let it begin with me.”  So today, and in each of our days, let us work to find and create peace – in and with our minds, our relationships, our hearts, and our world.  Merry, merry Christmas.