Diaphanous. It means fragile. Fine. Like democracy itself. We have once again witnessed how quickly the tides can turn as Alabama voted for kindness over coldness. If we turn up.

Gloating is majorly unattractive. So is name-calling. And even if I agree politically with certain party tendencies, I refuse to get into the blame game. Or the shame game. Such a lame game.

It’s not easy to refrain from joining in, however. In the quiet of my four walls, I admit I allow myself a perverse chuckle when ignorance is publicly exposed. It’s difficult not to get caught up in the swirl of negativity.

And yet I refuse to let the season of light be tainted by the ugliness, the dour and the petulant. We need focus, people. We need to remember that our lives are in our hands. We are the masters of our own ships. We alone clutch the steer at the helm. If we don’t show up, no one else will.

In moments when I have to forcefully shift my attention (as I do my eyes from every blaring TV screen in the corners of public spaces), I focus on the things I can look forward to.

• The smell of cooking food
• Cheerful jingling bells
• Fragrant pine trees
• Bright, twinkling lights
• Wide eyes and giggles
• PJs. All.Day.Long.
• The damp swirl of piping hot tea (or, okay, mulled wine)
• The sound of my children’s laughter
• The satisfied grin of my true love

Yes, these are the things we must remember as the world pulls at our attention. All things shall pass. Let us not ignore the delights in favor of all those fights. There is a time to struggle and a time to snuggle.

Give yourself the good times too.