Christmas thoughts

In 10 days Christmas will be here and then be gone.

The bright lights and decorations on the Christmas trees and the inside and outside of homes and businesses for miles and miles around will all be turned off, taken down and put away. The

The extra time we found over the last two months to spend with family and friends, the extra hours in each day we found to shop for that special gift or two or three for each person on our Christmas list will somehow disappear.

The extra food we ate will be forgotten in a little while as we return to our normal eating habits and kick off the New Year with new plans and new and improved habits (which will be forgotten within a month or two).

We will file in the back of our minds the heartfelt Christmas movies we watched on TV that only come out during this time of year. They touch our hearts, bring a tear or two, and make us thankful for what we are blessed with.

As I sit here with the lights from the tree reflecting in the window, and a Christmas movie playing on the TV, I think of how we all look forward to Christmas. We rush around, we stress about getting things done in time, and we hope that the gifts we are going to give will be appreciated. We sing Christmas carols that we only hear once a year, but we know all the words as soon as they start to play for the season.  We count the days until Christmas. First thinking it is far away, then that it is too close and we are not ready and then suddenly that it will all soon be over for another year, and just another memory.

As we grow older we often have family and friends who are no longer with us to share the joy of Christmas. We find ourselves in moments of silence, of being lonesome, of missing them and wishing they were here. We share stories of our past, of our childhood memories when Christmas was magical. We realize that the stories are more about the family and friends and less about the gifts you received. And even the gifts we do remember getting as children seem to be surrounded by fond memories of special times with the person who gave them to us or the story behind the gift.

Christmas -It IS a magical time of year. It is a time when 24 hours in a day somehow allows us to get more done; a time when we reach out, give more, share more, and enjoy more. It is a time of memories; a time of traditions, old and new. It is a time of love; family; and friends.

I wish for each of you a Very Merry Christmas. May you take the time in the hustle and bustle of the season to reflect on the true meaning of the season.  Take time to enjoy the special moments past and present.  And if you have lost someone special this year may you remember them in laughter, in joy, in fond memories and in love.

--- Phyllis ---