Josh, thanks so much for your comment. I grew up in a church that celebrated advent, but I always thought of it more as a time of anticipation and preparation. Thinking about it this year more as a time of being guided out of the dark, toward the light, has really given me a different perspective on it. I think what you said in your comment about finding hope in both "genuine tradition and everyday occurrences" is key. Figuring out how to bring the tradition and the everyday stuff all together, and make it into a cohesive faith, is the challenge.