Christmastime

 

And now it is Christmastime.

 

It is more bittersweet this year

as if it could be taken away

so violently by hatred’s hands,

or the cruel fate

of nature’s fury.

 

I think of the mothers and fathers

sent away to war

to protect a country

that hates their presence.

 

I think of the letters and packages

that arrive, to give them a sense of home.

 

I see houses destroyed,

families forced to move,

never to return home.

 

I listen more closely

to the words of holiday songs on the radio,

and drive a little slower

past the houses lit with hope and joy.

 

I want to nestle into this season,

and surround my son with the true meaning

of this Christ Consciousness-

the celebration of kindness, giving and hope.

 

I see innocence in my son’s small face

and the love he has for each living thing.

 

These special children

embody angelic minds.

 

He is teaching me a lot this year,

how to gather Faith in the Spirit,

that leads us, down the path of our lives.

 

Jennie Linthorst, MA, CAPF, is a therapeutic writing coach and the founder of LifeSPEAKS Poetry Therapy.  She works privately with men and women helping them tell their stories and heal, through reading and writing poetry and personal essays. Jennie coaches clients all across the country and around the world via phone, Skype, e-mail, in addition to in person meetings. She is the author of a book of poems, Autism Disrupted: A Mother's Journey of Hope. Her family’s story is captured in the award-winning documentary film, “Autistic-Like: Graham’s Story”.