Just a thought… We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light. [Earl Nightingale]

Welcome to the start of another week.

Today: some lights. In one instance, literally.

A light went on for me Saturday night as we were watching Episode 9 of the latest season of The Crown. I know it’s been out for a while, but we’ve been savouring it, taking our time; who knows when the next and final season will be out?

As I sat there watching the admittedly fictionalized account of the demise of the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, it occurred to me: getting upset about the way he was treating her and how the whole thing went down 30 years ago is almost as useless as me literally losing sleep about what’s happening in the US these days.

I can do nothing about it. I can’t save their marriage or beg her not to go into that Paris tunnel. I can’t implore lawmakers to stand up for what’s right. I just can’t. So…in my mind, I have a remote and I turn it off.

At least for a bit.

Here’s something else we can control: the joy we let in. Also Saturday night, I read a tweet from @jannarden. The Canadian singer-songwriter-activist-comic-author-national treasure (am I running out of hyphens yet?) said she’s leaving her Christmas tree up until she gets the vaccine. Rob and I looked at the online calculator that shows when we’re likely to get it and it would seem that if we did as Jann is doing, our tree would be up until probably Canadian Thanksgiving.

So, with a puppy, maybe no. We’re trying to let her have some freedom, but munching on ornaments is not within those parameters.

But other people added their comments and they were delightful. One person said her tree stays up until Lunar or Chinese New Year (which comes February 12, when the year of the Rat leaves and the Ox comes in – boy is that fitting!). Another said hers will be decorated with Valentines and then Easter eggs and on and on.

I mean, why not? Who says a tree – an artificial one, of course, or you end up with a big old pile of needles – has to come down on a certain date? If it makes you feel good, just leave the darned thing up.

Celebrate the memories of years past. The hope that comes with the Christmas season. Blast your Mariah Carey, your Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Michael Bublé to your heart’s content. It’s all about controlling the things you can. And as always, being gentle to yourself. Talk to you again Thursday.