We live very much in a neighborhood, which honestly is not what I’ve done for most of my 20-plus years living in Vermont. I always thought, when visiting friends here who had close neighbors–now, why would you subject yourself to all the trouble of living way up north and then have a bunch of neighbors?

I can be prickly like that.

And then, like tonight, this pile of neighbors gets together, and we walk around our neighborhood–and go into the gas station–and sing Christmas carols to every house that had a person in it (and one, it turns out, that didn’t).

There are a lot of things to be said about Christmas.  If you are Christian, you might find it too commercial; if you are not, you might find it too religious; if you are spending it with family, it might be too loud/busy/annoying; if you are alone, it might be too lonely/quiet/depressing.

But tonight, as we gathered on icy walkways and sang somewhat out-of-key to our neighbors, all of whom graciously received us, I thought, what can be wrong with a holiday that brings people together to sing, and laugh?  What can be wrong with bringing light to the world, even in the form of slightly flat fa-la-las lit by iPhones (luminaries seemed more poetic but too risky with the five and six year-old)?

What can be wrong with bringing more love to the world?

Well, nothing that I can see.  Merry Christmas, and however you spend it, I hope it brings more love to your heart, and so to the world.

S.