Christmas is Coming

The tree is decorated, the lights are up (and work) and there are even a couple of stations on the radio dedicated to the season. It must be Christmas. Yes, everywhere you look the signs are undeniable the Christmas Season is upon us. Of course, Wal-Mart has probably already switched over and has Valentine’s Day stuff out but everywhere else it is Christmas and I love it.

Each year I say I am going to slow down and enjoy it and each year the season goes flying past and I find myself wanting more. We get so caught up in all the hustle and bustle and everything we think we must do and we rarely stop and just enjoy the season. We race from one event to the next and the Christmas shopping never seems to be done. I think we should all slow down and simplify our lives.

Am I saying to clear your calendar and not do any Christmas shopping? No, especially if I am on your Christmas shopping list. OK, all kidding aside, no the Christmas parties, shopping and various other associated events are all important and part of what makes this year special, we just need to remember to take time to stop and take a deep breath.

One of my favorite things to do this time of the year is to brew a cup of coffee, turn the lights on the Christmas tree, sit down in my easy chair and just enjoy a few minutes of solitude. It is amazing how just a few minutes of staring at the white lights on the tree is soothing and relaxing. No music, no sound just me and the lights, that is my one of my favorite thing about the season.

I guess I am just getting old but my favorite things about the Christmas Season are the simple, uncomplicated parts of the season. I like the smell of cedar (I still cut a couple of Christmas trees out in the pasture each year, even though we have an artificial tree), Christmas sugar cookies are high on my list, I really enjoy Christmas cards from my friends, and just quiet time reflecting on why it is that we celebrate the Christmas Season.

My most cherished of all my Christmas decorations is the nativity set my mother made for Jennifer and me when we got married. My mother was an artist and specialized in clay sculpture and nativity sets were one of her most popular items and something she often gave as a wedding gift. She would let you customize the set and you could pick either painted or glazed white. Her original set, the one I grew up with, was glazed white so that is what I picked.

It is simple and understated, but it is also something I hold very close to my heart. Mom even customized our set to include our original blue healer, Cisco. Now I know that there probably were no blue healers at the nativity, but I find something comforting with her presence in my nativity set. It brings back many good memories and serves as a reminder of just why we celebrate the season.

Most of all I enjoy this time of the year because we take the time to renew old friendships, we are more likely to think of our friends and neighbors and spend time with them. I often wonder why it takes special holidays like Christmas for us to set aside time for friends and families. Maybe that ought to be something we vow to do for the next year. However, we need to take the time to enjoy our time with friends, family and neighbors, no matter what the reason.

Without a doubt my favorite part of Christmas is the Christmas Eve church service. It still gives me goose bumps to be in the Church and participate. I love the simple message of the nativity and the Christmas story. It has always been one that resonates with me. The pinnacle of the Christmas Eve service and the Christmas Season is the singing of Silent Night. Our church is like many and dims the lights, we all light candles and sing. Christmas is not complete unless I attend Christmas Eve service and sing Silent Night.

I would guess if most of us were completely honest we would all agree it is the simple, noncommercial things that mean the most to us this Christmas Season. Often all the commercial glitz, glamor with all the rush and hustle steal our attention. I wonder how much happier we would all be if we pared it back to only the simplest of traditions. My wish for each of you this Christmas is for a few moments of simple, uncluttered Christmas. So, take time to unplug, relax and enjoy the Season.