What is Christmas?
©Bert and Jane Gildart: We’ve tried to find a quote that expresses the feelings we hold close at this time of year, and the best we could do is this one by Agnes M. Pharo. Though we could find no date, she posed a question and then answered it, as follows:
“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.”
Chrsitmas in the Arctic and the Wonder of Nature
For us as photographers, this tranquil but powerful setting makes us think of Pharo’s wishes, and, of course, that makes us think of how we lucky we were then and are now. For a year this cabin was our home, and each winter night in the typically clear skies of the Arctic the northern lights would blaze overhead and about that time the wolves would begin to howl. And we would stand in wonder and gaze and listen–and think about how lucky Man can sometimes be.
The solitude was immense and it reminded us of blessings in the same way that Christmas often does, no matter where we might be. It also reminds us of our many good friends and family members, and we hope that “every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal and that every path may lead to peace.”
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHERE EVER YOU MAY BE. WE MISS YOU ALL.
