Still Burning

I am and always have been a big fan of the winter holidays. Though I am not religious in the usual sense, nor much of a theist, I am a big champion of the power of story, metaphor, and ritual. I’ve written in this space before about some of the various meditations and lessons and meanings I’ve gotten from observing solstice and Christmas.

I also, having grown up with it, observe Chanukah. Connection to my heritage and a an excuse light more candles could be said to be enough reason to celebrate it, but for years now I’ve been grasping for what my relationship is to the story. Having it be a sort of stand-in for just another variation on light-in-the-darkness seemed weak.

5 Things Engage NY Didn’t Intend to Teach My Kid

It’s always good to look on the bright side of things, right? (Or at least frequently good. Relentlessly doing so veers toward denial.)

Nonetheless, when you have a kid in school in this age of absurd overtesting, inappropriately high-stakes standardized testing, and corporate influence in education, you have to look for the silver linings.