December 23, 2008 – Hey, it’s Christmas week. Peace to us, to all of us, but especially to those who live in the community of fear. If you are prone to fear, depression or anxiety, these are tough times. You can either lock yourself in the basement, or absorb fear and worry into your neural system. It is everywhere at the moment, and no matter how hard one struggles to be positive, fear is in the air. It is contagious, too.
   I got a powerful message from Susan last night, who heard that her company is preparing to lay people off, and she, prone to anxiety, is worried. She was remembering some writing about fear,the idea that it is not the end, but part of the process, not the end of the world, but a place to walk through. It doesn’t last forever. And that is true. It never does. Everybody does survive, and many find their challenges to be personally and spiritually significant, that they consider life more thoughtfully, live more intelligently, love more intensely and and appreciate the things in life – love, family, community, animals,  friendship, spirituality – that tend to get lost in “good” times.
  I feel close to more people than ever. And I have felt quite a bit of fear in the last year. I am not a seer and don’t know better than anybody else what is going to happen, or how long these strains will last, but I was talking to my friend Warren last night – the husband of Helen, who died in hospice care this year, and we are going to see each other on Christmas morning a bit, and he said people who  think this is a depression have never been through one.
  Sometime this year, we will be moving forward again, he says, worried about something else.  He’s seen it many times before.
  Warren worked in government, and I know him to be a wise and experienced person, and I thought that sounded right to me. Warren has long given up on media as a source of anything but a nervous stomach. He is facing the drama of life itself, his first Christmas without Helen, some health issues. He is waiting for Spring, eager for life, engaged with the world, on fire to be reunited with Helen. He is at peace.
  I am looking for peace this week, and I will share this process on the blog. It is my Christmas project. I was counting my gifts this morning, and was humbled by them. Fear is real, and we are not pollyannas. There are things to be anxious about, and they intrude on remote farms as well as in big companies. But they are a space to cross, and crossing them is a choice. Warren is right. Barring the surprises of life, we will all be here next Christmas, crossing another space. So peace to us.
  I’m going to work hard at this week. Peace to you, Susan. I will see you on the other side of fear.
  I think this will be a good theme this week, along with friendship.
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  Appropriately I suppose, “Out Of The Shadows” is available for pre-ordering. It is coming out in January from The Troy Bookmakers. They are also selling Mary Kellogg’s powerful poetry volume, “MY Place On Earth.”  A wonderful perspective to read now. Mary is working on her second book. She is a wonder and does not live in fear, but in peace. She inspires me.