Into The Dark – A Full Circle Sunday and more info about Not Quite Christmas

The Table Winnipeg

Hey folks…this a longer blurb than usual because it has extra info regarding Not Quite Christmas. If you care about that, read to the end.

I know that we all experience this season differently. For some, it’s a time of connection, joy and celebration. For others, it’s a slog through a dark and complicated canyon of depression. And for many of us, it’s something in-between; a complicated mix of obligations and opportunities. The constant bombardment of ads that suggest we can spend our way into happiness and bring our loved ones along for the ride can be wearisome, and the literal darkness of winter adds to the challenge. What can we learn that might help us navigate this season better? That’s what we’ll be exploring in the Talky Bit this Sunday.

Kids Table is on. I won’t give anything away, but I can confidently say that if the walls of Darling Bar could speak, they would say that they have never heard anything like what will happen on Sunday.

The “not kids” will enjoy some Community Time, some music, some musings. We’ll start all of this at 10:45 a.m. at VA Cafe (171 McDermot Ave), livestream here, podcast here.

Not Quite Christmas info:
Where – VA Cafe
When – Sunday, December 22nd, 10:45 a.m.
What – Much of what we want most as humans; food, connection with others, some time out of the storm. Details below.Program Details:
Our theme will be “Look What The Light Did Now”. We’ll unpack that on the day, but for now I would invite you to reflect on that from two possible perspectives. First of all, what are some things that feel like “bright spots” in your life right now? Places, people, experiences, ideas, beliefs…anything that feels like it brings light into your life. Second, can you think of any occasions where a surprising or unexpected change in your life turned out to be a good thing? Once again, this can be about anything.

I will make space for people to share these with the community as part of our gathering. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing in person, or perhaps can’t attend, please email your reflections to me and I’ll read them as part of our time together. My email is <[e-mail]>, for those who might be seeing this on our website.

Food Details:
For those who take joy in thinking about and planning / preparing food, the format will be potluck, the theme will be “Holiday Brunch”. If you don’t care about the theme, ignore it and bring whatever you want. Or just bring yourself. The Table will provide ham and perogies (because that’s what Santa eats for Holiday Brunch), drinks and paper service. We won’t go home hungry.

Also, this can be a lovely occasion to invite a friend. In a world of big seasonal productions (and those can be wonderful, of course), I think our relatively intimate and informal marking of this time can feel like a simple way to come in from the dark for a hour or so, be with some lovely people, enjoy a good meal, and not feel like you had to pretend to be someone you’re not. I’m already looking forward to it.

I’ll see you on Sunday.

Peace,

Tim