Saturday, December 20, 2008

What Christmas Means to Me

From the animals and humans of Spring Farm CARES, we wish all of you a very happy holidays. The animals asked to be able to tell about their story of Christmas, and we couldn’t think of a better message than that. Thanks for sharing in a part of the lives of these amazing beings. The message below is narrated by Amber Donkey, but she is speaking for our animals as a whole. ---- Dawn

From Amber Donkey:

We start our story of what Christmas means to us in the barn, where your story of Christmas begins too. Christmas, as you know it, is so different than how we know it. For you it is a holiday, a tradition for some, a spiritual time for others, a commercial event, a time for Santa and talking snowmen and of course the flying reindeer. How do I know all this? You cannot possibly be alive on this planet and not know about Christmas and how it is understood and celebrated by humans. But we animals also understand about Christmas. There is an energy on this planet that signals to us when that special time is near. It is not about Christmas music, colorful lights, or gifts under the tree. It is about the life force energy that comes out of the cold, up through the snow, from beyond the crispness of the winter stars. It is the solstice and the movement of the sun and the moon. It is an energy of oneness and hope, of compassion and giving, of sharing all we have together so that we can join together to help one another. It is about joining one another in the common cause of living on this planet. It is about trusting in renewed faith that another season of growth is coming after this period of short rest. It signals a time for going within to understand our own gifts, our own warmth, our own ideas, and to let them grow within us so that they may sprout anew in the next season of growth. It is about remembering the things we are most grateful for. It is about sharing those gifts we have within us with our friends. And it is about trying to understand with compassion those who we think we can’t understand. It is about planning and creating and visioning. And most of all, it is about renewing our faith in Life itself and understanding the miracle of creation. This is what Christmas is for us. Whether you live in a barn or a high rise in a busy city, there is a quiet humbleness about Christmas that is there for you to find. It is not in stores, it is not even in places of worship, but it is within your very own heart. A compassion and a love for all living beings, and an understanding about the spiritual world within and around us – that is the meaning of Christmas.

On Christmas morning when you awaken, remember about the animals on the whole planet who also are understanding the energy of the day. It is a time when around the entire planet, people stop to share a common moment. Your turning of the new year holds that same energy and is literally shared by all, regardless of spiritual faith or beliefs. It is a time of common energy and focus. It would be a very powerful time to create and move change forward if everyone harnessed that moment. We animals understand this crucial time. We do not celebrate a holiday. We celebrate Life and the love within it. We celebrate the joining of hearts, the notion of giving, the gift of compassion, and the understanding of our oneness. We look to the stars, we look to the earth, and then we look to one another and we say to each other, “I recognize you for all your beauty.” Christmas is a time to acknowledge the gifts we are in each other’s lives.
From that perspective, we wish you all the joys of Christmas and the unity of the new year.