Category Archives: meditation

The First Day of Christmas: A Partridge in a Pear Tree

It’s the first part of the song, the first bird of the group. And it always made me think about a lovely small potted pear tree with a bird sitting nicely nested in it, like all the imagery surrounding the song. Apparently partridges don’t roost in trees, pear or otherwise. They stay on the ground. Because, of course, this needed explanation, the Greeks had a myth. Daedalus, of the Icarus flying too close to the sun myth, had a nephew named Perdix. Perdix was smart, very smart, and creative. He is credited with inventing the compass and the saw. Daedalus, who was very intelligent himself, was jealous of his nephew, and pushed him off a ledge. Athena, who liked ingenuity, changed Perdix into a bird so he would survive. Obviously, he became the partridge. Because of that, the partridge is afraid of heights and remains close to the ground at all times. And understandably so.

Now, being so afraid of heights you never perch in a tree is not a good thing. But being grounded is. So on this first day of Christmas, I will think about that partridge and being grounded.

Being grounded to me is having both feet firmly placed and having my balance, metaphorically speaking. It is knowing where my center is and being able to let the world blow around me without knocking me off kilter. Do I always succeed? Or course not, especially when larger or even small unexpected winds blow. But having a sense of where the ground is can help me find my feet faster. Breathing, a cup of tea, a hug from a friend can all be ways to remember to ground myself. Putting my feet in sand or grass can help, if I am lucky enough to have access to either in a Buffalo winter. Drinking a glass of water, connecting with a friend, working on a project can all help me regain that balance and keep my feet from sliding when the winds hit.

But there is another sort of being grounded that this makes me think of. It’s remembering that so little of what I do is actually important. Yes, I need to clean the bathroom and I need to make that dip and I need to dust the shelves— but none of that is near as important as slowing down and being present. Friends won’t care about the dust, and will forgive an unwashed floor (I hope!). They don’t care that I have 3 snacks out instead of the 6 I had planned. What is important isn’t how hard I can work and how much I can overextend to create the ‘perfect’ evening. What is important is being present and loving those who are around me.

So on this first day of Christmas, I will remember that Partridge and I will work to keep to the ground as much as I can.

(an aside: Perdix’s name became the word for partridge. Some people believe when the song entered English, the French Perdix was heard as ‘pear tree’, which is how was roosted.)

Back to the start.
Forward to day Two.

Meditations on the 12 days of Christmas

For most people who celebrate any part of the Christmas season, it’s a mad rush of house cleaning, cookie baking, present purchasing and wrapping, decorating and being around family. By the end of the day on the 25th, people are worn out, tired and ready to forget the holidays.

And most people do. The wrapping gets thrown away, the tree comes down, and there is no more celebration or contemplation until we are reminded again of the holidays for a few hours on New Year’s Eve.

For many people, the Twelve Days of Christmas in the song have ended on the 25th, and there is now a depression and a darkness that hits.

But Christmas Day is the first day of Christmas, and the 12 days follow it.  I wanted to spend some time during this time of quiet after the rush of the holidays just meditating on aspects of life that the holidays brought up, one for each day of celebration. And I finally decided to just write meditations on the Song— it was already set up for the 12 days, and each part of the memory game could mean something particular.

So this year, I am sharing my Meditations on the 12 days of Christmas, so you can join me if you also need a chance to breathe and think over this holiday.

Starting with the First Day of Christmas: A Partridge in a Pear Tree.
The Second Day: Two Turtle Doves. 
The Third Day: Three French Hens.
The Fourth Day: Four Calling Birds
The Fifth Day: Five Golden Rings
The Sixth Day: Six Geese a-Laying
The Seventh Day: Seven Swans a-Swimming
The Eight Day: Eight Maids a-Milking
The Ninth Day: Nine Ladies Dancing
The Tenth Day: Ten Lords a-Leaping
The Eleventh Day: Eleven Pipers Piping
The Twelfth Day: Twelve Drummers Drumming
Epiphany