Today is the day for remembrance of the Holy Innocents. I don't remember precisely how old I was when my parents explained the story to me, only the nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach. The story I'd heard before was a cheerful one, an amusing one, even, of how the Magi met with Herod, eventually found Jesus and worshiped him, and left town by another road so that Herod's nefarious plot was spoiled and tune in next week for the further adventures... You get the idea. Suddenly I was being faced with the grittier side of the story, the part about how Herod was so obsessed with his power that he ordered the slaughter of all the infant males in an entire city. Herod was so scared that he would be ousted from his throne at least fifteen or twenty years down the line that he had an entire male generation massacred. Infants who were just starting to open their eyes to the world, taking first steps and uttering first words, were mercilessly killed to appease the insecurity of a tyrant, in the name and stead of my Lord and Savior. It was a large and bitter pill to swallow. I turned to the lectionary for help, which it had trouble providing. The messages in the Old Testament, the Gospel, and the Psalms offer much in the way of wailing and gnashing of teeth, and only vague glimpses of hope. The epistle is what helped me through, with Revelation 21. I quote the paraphrase I know from Bairstow's arrangement that I learned in choir: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." I pray this night that God has wiped away the tears from their eyes, and that they may thrive in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal.

There's a big smile on my face as as I sit with my family around a fire, opening presents and laughing in each other's company. I hope that you all have a very merry Christmas or whatever holiday is appropriate.

Feeling kind of off tonight. Sore throat, quirky temperature... I really hope I'm not coming down with something. Not only would the timing on that be very much not-fun, but being sick is just crappy anyway.

Blah.

Tunes: "Christmas Is All Around", Billy Mack.

Crazy last-minute college application work this weekend, with the notable break being the Kill Hannah show tonight. Hopefully that rush will get me through.

Tunes: "Sick Boy", "Don't Die Wondering", and "Raining All The Time", Kill Hannah.

There's a man who I see from time to time walking around the library. His body is somewhat disfigured: his leg is bent inwards and he walks with a cane, his face is offset, and he moves somewhat jerkily. He'll talk to anyone who passes by, and tell them his story if they stay to listen. Many people don't stay. They think he's asking for money or they simply don't have the time to waste on some strange man they don't know. I've heard his spiel several times, but I always stay to hear him out. He used to be a wealthy, successful man before he went to the store on his bike and was hit by a truck, which maimed him. He lists the injuries he maintained, and then implores you to always wear your helmet. That's all he wants, to make sure that other people are careful and safe. If you're still around after that, he'll go on briefly about the dangers of smoking, too. I've heard it all before, but I still stay and listen. Sometimes he recognizes me and abridges his story, sometimes not, but I feel that paying attention to him is the least I can do. I don't know how strong his grasp on reality is, or if his story is true or not, but I believe him anyway, because what I do know is that all this man does is show care for others, and I have nothing but the deepest respect for him for that. So if you're ever walking through downtown Evanston, and a strange man hails you asking if you ride a bike or not, take a pause and give him a listen. It's the least you can do.

Advent is a season of waiting, and that's what I'm doing right now, for a number of different things:

13 days until Christmas
8 days until Laura comes home
6 days until Nate gets home
2 days until I meet with my friend and mentor Paul
Roughly two hours before I'll likely get to sleep
Half an hour until I can finish my movie
Lord only knows how long until the phone rings again

Yup, keeping busy. Hard to let life pass you by when you're in it neck deep.

Tunes: "Have A Little Faith In Me", John Hiatt (iTMS); "Hey Now", FM Static (iTMS).

I just stumbled across a site with a very random and quite hilarious concept:

Animated 30-second summaries of movies, reenacted by bunnies.

Check it out.

(Warning: movies contain gore and naughty language)

It's over. We had a good run, it was "hell and bliss and all that soars between it", as the song goes, and I'm very glad to have been a part of it and very grateful to all who came to see me (and all who wished to come but were otherwise hindered), but it's done and I'm so glad. It's done. Now I get to devote my time to finishing college applications! Yay!

Tunes: "Hey Julie", Fountains of Wayne (iTMS).