Yesterday, I took a walk after the Christmas feasting and entertaining were over. The little goblins were biting. I hadn’t given the right gifts to this person. I hadn’t paid close enough attention to the broccoli cooking. I wasn’t appreciative enough of the dessert someone brought. I hadn’t gone to be with my parents for Christmas. I had emailed a friend something that sounded like a put down of something she had sent me. I was at the root cause of everyone’s discomfort. Guilty guilty guilty of so many sins in one day--not to mention my mortal sins and inadequacies of this past year.

It was hard to pick up my feet I was so weighted with petty and not so petty crime.

But then almost home the light turned soft, the western sky glowed, ribboned with orange. The air cooled. The houses on the hill had their little holiday lights glowing most softly in the sunset. The goblins lifted and I felt joy.