Blessed First Sunday of Advent! Light one candle. Happy Chanukkah! Light five candles (tonight). Give someone the gift of water? Or freedom?

Wow, today’s already the first Sunday in Advent. As usual, I’m slamming into it.

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My mom liked to call on Sundays after church and in the fall, before the football game. The first Sunday in Advent she always called and the first thing she said was always the same: “Guess what! We sang ‘O come, o come, Emmanuel’.” Then she proceeded onto the deer hunting report. Then she asked when I’d be home.

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My reflections aren’t going to get much more sophisticated than that, this year. My brother gave me the deer report (two bucks, both eight points, five does). All the crop damage permits are filled; the two we’re keeping are hanging and the other five have been donated. Dad has an individual permit left, and is shooting right-handed, and we’re nervous. Architect called to fill me in on the progress of her annual attempt to recreate the molasses cookies we haven’t tasted since our grandfather’s death in the mid-1980s. Dad already asked me when I’d be home last week. Sometime on the eleventh, I suspect. I need to lecture twice more in each class, grade a mount of papers, and replace my car tires before I go.

I’m not sure what I can listen to this year. Not Johnny Matthis (mom’s favorite). Not Sufjan Stevens (my usual, but now way too much). Most of the favorite hymns from my childhood and their modern versions seem too much. Suggestions for December listening gratefully received.

I know this is self-pitying. I’m just so sad. I don’t have any way to describe this. I’m — out of words.

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The fifth night of Chanukkah is the so-called “darkest night” (I wrote about that here). It is prioritized for time with family and friends and acts of lovingkindness that assist in tikkun olam, the repair of the universe.

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Finally, my annual Advent endorsement. No exhortations, because we’ve heard it before and we probably already believe this very simple message. Just a reminder to spend the holidays giving more quality time with the people who matter the most, and if we have money to divert, divert it to sustainability projects for the people who need it most. I happen to find Advent Conspiracy convincing — a non-denominational Christian appeal to provide water to parched places on the planet and end human trafficking. This year they have an organization that will match dollar for dollar up to $7k for any donations made through the [AC] app, through tomorrow.

All kinds of projects are important and my mother would have said that the local ones are the most important, the ones for our neighbors. And this year, I’d add, projects that aren’t just about a happy day around the solstice but things that affect people’s lives year round.

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Blessed Advent. Light one candle. Happy Chanukkah. Light five candles.

Let’s do what we can so that no one has to curse the darkness.

~ by Servetus on December 1, 2013.