A Very Rivendell Christmas

I usually post on Sundays, and this Sunday is Christmas. A holiday themed post is required. But to be honest, I’m not really feeling the holidays this year. 2016, globally speaking, has been a dumpster fire. Personally, it’s been a mixed bag in which even the many good things were still very hard. After the election, I felt compelled to make the holidays extra joyful this year, but only managed to wear myself out. Judging by the number of Mordor-themed memes in my social media feed, I’m not alone in this. 

In The Lord of the Rings, every journey begins with a stay in Rivendell. It was a place to make plans, stock up, and psych up before the challenges of a dangerous adventure. Every homecoming was postponed by a stay in Rivendell. It was the place to debrief, take stock, and recover before returning to routine.

I know nothing magically changes on January 1, but I still can’t wait for the mental reset of a new year. I’m hoping for a lot more good news in 2017, but I know it’s going to take a lot of work from a lot of people who, like me, thought they were actually working pretty hard before. So, even if I’m not generating a lot of Christmas cheer, I do appreciate these quiet last few days of the year to regroup, find some gratitude (cheesy but necessary; all the studies say so), and metaphorically gird loins for the year to come.

Whether your holiday of choice is Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa or Yule, I hope it serves as your stay in Rivendell.