A Norvell Note
December 1, 2024, Vol. 28 No. 47
Laments of the Season
Like most of you, I spent at least part of last week counting my blessings and naming reasons to be thankful. I also spent some time lamenting[i].
I did not spend much time lamenting, but I did remember, grieve, and mourn. Some of it was intentional, and some just came naturally.
I remembered holidays of the past. The people present. The places we spent the holiday—the meals we enjoyed and the conversations we shared.
I grieved for people who are no longer with us and those who could not be with us. Some years are easier than others, but this holiday was challenging.
I mourned the condition of our nation, the anger, the sadness, the fearmongering, and the hatred.
I remembered I grieved, and I mourned the life that was and will be no more.
Then, the moment’s reality reminded me to be thankful again for the people with me and the life that is.
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2024 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.
[i] A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something that they regret or someone that they have lost, and they are usually accompanied by wailing, moaning and/or crying. Laments constitute some of the oldest forms of writing, and examples exist across human cultures.