Christmas Cards, Poetry and Photographic Musings

Terresa at The Chocolate Chip Waffle so kindly gave me permission to repost this gorgeous poem of hers. When I read it last week, I was in love from the first line. It's the kind of poem that makes me want to read more poetry - and write more too.

I immediately thought that I wished I could send it out in this year's Christmas letter. I just can't help myself - I have to write something for all my friends and family - a photo card alone seems lonely- but I don't like to just chirp on about our doings. So I find myself wanting to send out these evocative, thought-provoking, and not entirely appropriate poems, like this one. Unless you are a poetic sort. Then they seem wholly appropriate.

One year I did send A Summer's Day by Mary Oliver. Because what ARE you going to do with your one wild and precious life? It is an essential question!

Our family stumbled through our annual Christmas card-making trip late Friday night. Ten pm found us at Kinko's waiting for each glossy 4X8 to drop excruciatingly slowly from the photo kiosk. I love this year's family portrait with Santa. The colors of our clothes are just right in tone and we are all almost glowing with joy.

Oddly, what I like quite a lot about this card is that I look fairly heavy in it. Because the pose is so similar to last year's, it shows me exactly how much weight I have gained in 2009 in an objective sort of way. I know I'm supposed to feel bad about being overweight - and I sort of do. But not all that much.

When I look at the picture, I can't help but see the happiness on my face. The beauty of my family sharing a tradition with each other one more year. The fact that being overweight means that I am still here - I have survived many difficulties during this year, and even triumphed.

And I see the wonderful possibility for change and renewal in the future. It makes me want to get right into 2010. ( In fact, I jumped ahead and started my main resolution on December first.) Seeing a path before me fills me with optimism and hope. All that stored up weight is nothing but energy.

And the proof of many, many blessings.

I know our culture isn't used to seeing weight this way. We all try so hard to be perfect all the time. But I'm not. And the photo proves it. Now what?

I so love to send out Christmas Cards. If you would like to receive one - and the still unwritten missive- please email me your address and I'll add you to our annual list. (I'll keep all your info private of course!) Until then, please enjoy the poem I would send if it were mine:

You Know You Must

Love, even when you find the
symphony in your throat
borrowed, stolen, lost.
And stumbling
down into
blackness
you taste the
compost from the years,
dark raw earth and
crawling things
from which you cannot turn, run, hide.
And you sit in the
basement of your life,
friendships, denials, remorse
caked under your fingernails.

Slowly you gather these scraps and
all the auburn sunrises and
burnished fields in between.
You tie together piece by piece
song, summit, sunbeam,
threading today with tomorrow
and in this quilt, wrap up,
warmed, at last,
in the life that is yours,
the life that can be.
--Terresa Wellborn