It is All About the Ride

Thanksgiving dinner is tucked in the fridge into a myriad of plastic containers. The "good" dishes are all packed back into their boxes until Christmas dinner. We are on the verge of tipping into December. Christmas preparation time. For most, it is like a bobsled ride, high velocity, twisting and turning and 'tucking in' to maneuver the holiday sled faster and smoother. We plummet through the starting gate on Black Friday shoving into stores at 4 a.m. looking for the perfect Christmas gifts. We build up speed, writing out Christmas cards, reconnecting with friends we haven't heard from in a year. Half way through the month we shift ourselves once again, preparing for and attending parties, spending more time with our co-workers, friends and family than we have in months. As we get closer to the 25th we become more conscious of the time left...we need to increase the pace! Wrapping gifts, last minute shopping, stocking stuffers, baking, wrapping, shopping, cooking,...and suddenly...it is Christmas. We crossed the finish line in record time. With wrapping paper and ribbons in shreds around us and empty boxes stacked high, the day is over. I try to remember the days that led to Christmas. It went too fast. I didn't get to spend time with people I wanted to. I hardly had a moment to reflect or appreciate the beauty of the season. I was too busy! The last month is all a blur...the twinkling lights, the smiling faces, the dinners and family visits....they are a dull roar and blinking lights as I passed through it. It makes me sad.

I realize I need to change my mode of transportation. Maybe a sleigh ride would be more appropriate. I don't have to drive. I can sit in the sleigh with a warm blanket wrapped around me, sipping hot chocolate, singing carols to my heart's content and watching the landscape pass with an appreciative eye. I could even stop and visit a friend I haven't seen in months.

A sleigh ride. Not a bobsled race.

May your December be a wonderfully meaningful and pleasant ride.