I’ve been struggling all morning with what I was going to write about today. This is going to be a week of both joy and sadness I believe. This the first Christmas after Tim’s death. Although, this year Christmas is going to be difficult for so many; not the least for a small town in Connecticut.

I think these words from John Lennon sum up my feelings well;

“We live in a world where we have to hide to make love, while violence is practiced in broad daylight.”

This ‘Temenos’, this sanctuary, is not a place for politics, violence or hate. It is a place for peace. A place for reflection, for stories & memories, and to help shine a light into the dark.

One of my Mom’s favourite poems was by Emily Dickinson:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

So with that in mind…I decided to go out looking for people who are striving to make our world a better place.

♥ K9 Comfort Dogs. The group was featured on CNN last night. They had brought there dogs to Newtown in order to offer comfort and, well, a bit of something that I know from personal experience Canines are specialists at — bringing a smile to your face.

♥ Kozo – a fellow blogger and much more than just an “everyday guru” … he is a “hugging angel” himself. :) With a big heart and lots of hugs to share.

♥ Landfill Harmonic – this was brought to my attention by a fellow blogger as well, but I can’t recall whom for the life of me. Please speak up if you know who you are :)

From their facebook page

“Landfill Harmonic is an upcoming feature-length documentary about a remarkable musical orchestra in Paraguay, where the musicians play instruments made from trash.”

♥ And last, but certainly not least Rarasaur posted a couple of days ago about this wonderful idea. C4C or Company for Christmas

This is a place for people who are isolated at a difficult time of year and would enjoy some conversation {…}. This site has no religious affiliation – it is for everyone.

We will be here on Christmas Day to offer some company. If you want to chat, just leave a comment on this page (comments open 25th Dec). One of our volunteers will make a post and invite you to it (it will appear on the CHAT HERE page). You can then click on the post and chat by leaving comments.

Please share the light, let it burn brightly this year, and for all the days of the year. Do you know of individuals who are shining a light?