Well, we made it. Another Christmas holiday in the books. The hustle and the bustle have hustled and bustled stage left. They’ll be kept in storage and refurbished for next year. No more Mariah Carey’s requesting “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Drum and fife, “Pat a Pan,” cleaned and put into their cases. Soon, the trees and decorations in our homes will also be returned to their own storage boxes and shelves. We’ll clean up the glitter and finish eating the cookies and candy. Those stockings that were hung by the chimney with care have been emptied of the goodies that Old St. Nick filled them with.
The build up to the holiday was, for many, fraught with anxiety and stress. Yesterday was the culmination of all of that nervous energy. Now, the pressure has been released and we can get back to normal life. “Survived again!”
For others the slow rise toward Christmas was a journey in growing awe and wonder. Every gift made or purchased. Every card received or sent. Every snowflake falling from a slate, gray sky. All part of the mystery and holiness of the season.
Christmas has always been a dreaded thing. Too much stuff to pack into one month. Too many unreasonable expectations. Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t help much, either. But this year it was different. The anxiety level was good. Yeah, there were moments when it felt as though the roof might cave in. Thankfully, those moments were few and far between. For those who know me, this was a Christmas miracle!
For me, too.
What was different this year? I was on vacation from work. However, I take this time off every year. I had all shopping and wrapping done almost a week early. That’s a first! I’m usually ‘wrapping’ that up on Christmas day! Maybe that helped a bit. I wasn’t rushed right up to the last minute. I don’t think that alone could bring about a change in attitude like I experienced.
It could be that this was the first Christmas in I don’t know how many years that I spent completely sober. It’s been nearly 12 months since I had anything at all to drink. That may have been fruit that has grown. I don’t think that was at the root of things this year.
No, I think that this year I took time to reflect on things. I awoke each day and took time to sit before my God in silence. I found something in that time that I hadn’t seen too much of before. It was Grace and Presence that evoked Thanks in me. Yeah, I think that was the difference this year. I found a way to express gratitude. Not just to God. But, gratitude for the people around me. Hey, we were all going through this together, weren’t we? So, I was thankful for companions on the way. We’ve shared struggles and dashed hopes, for sure. We also had times of triumph and dreams realized.
This year it wasn’t Me Against the World. And, I am thankful for that. It was Us walking the path together.
I include all of You in that “Us.”
So, thank you. May you be blessed now, and as we rush toward the flip of another calendar page.
Thank you!
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