“A white crane
                              In winter snow
                              Needs no jewels.”

                                                --Asian Saying

December—the month of darkness and light; the month seen as a holy time for many of the world spiritual traditions; and a time for gathering family and friends together to express our love and generosity. It is the month that bridges the end of one year and opens to the beginning of a New Year—a time of letting go and moving forward.
The following lines are from Mary Oliver’s poem “In Blackwater Woods.” They remind us of what is important to remember, especially during the holiday season:

                          To live in this world

                           you must be able
                           to do three things
                           to love what is mortal;
                           to hold it

                           against your bones knowing
                           your own life depends on it;
                           and, when the time comes to let it go,
                           to let it go.”

                           ––Mary Oliver
                           New Selected Poems
                           (Boston Beacon Press, 1992) P 177-178