Here We Come A-Caroling - Pomplamoose
This song is an adaptation of Here We Come A-Wassailing that removes some of the awkward class dynamics in the original lyrics, which originate in an English peasant tradition of door-to-door trading of well-wishes for food that apparently “could border on home invasion”. In this version we hear less “bring us out your mouldy cheese” and “while you’re sitting by the fire, pray think of us poor children” and more:
May we all remember as we go from door to door
To be a friendly neighbour
To care and offer more
Love and joy
I’m a big fan of wishing people love and joy! The only meditation practice I do with anything approaching regularity is a kind of metta, sitting and wishing love and joy to increasingly distant beings, moving out from my closest people and settling on those I struggle to cultivate sympathy for, insects or enemies, then moving back in to eventually wish the same wellness for myself. Honestly, it just feels really nice to wish others well.
I’m wondering if I want to pick up a more dedicated meditation habit next year. A friend has been working his way through The Mind Illuminated after asking various parents which skills they thought he should work on before becoming a dad; several of them suggested meditation, and, in fairness, I imagine the ability to summon equanimity or kindness in challenging circumstances would be helpful when dealing with screaming toddlers.
I’m not sure how far I want to go with it, though? It seems like training basic mindfulness and compassion is like weightlifting for the mind, occasionally painful in the moment but usually making one healthier overall. But serious cultivation of equanimity seems associated with… dissolving one’s sense of reality? That might be bad. I am not so confident in the solidity of my mental health that I feel at ease around such radical rearranging of the mind. Maybe I'll stick to metta.
Wishing you whatever kind of mind makes it a joyful home for your thoughts,
Tessa