Half of my dining room table is covered with Thanksgiving and fall decorations that I need to pack away before the tree goes up this weekend. I am already woefully behind in my Christmas shopping, with only a few stocking stuffers purchased and too many question marks, rather than gift ideas, by the names on my list. And we never took a selfie of the three of us this weekend in Saugatuck, so now our Christmas card photo is up in the air.
Ahhh, the holidays.
In my annual “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” holiday reminder, I find myself 20 days before Christmas with what feels like 40 days’ worth of things to accomplish.
Wait! This year my birth family is coming for Christmas (for the first time!), with the first guest arriving two weeks from Saturday. That’s five fewer days to get everything done.
I truly enjoy Christmas preparations. At the same time, every year I hope to spend more of Advent waiting for Christ’s birth. Of course, you have to be still and quiet to truly wait, and most December days find me in perpetual motion.
While this time of year is typically slower for us in the news-gathering business, we still must write and edit all the main components of our paper each week. And then there’s the national news to watch and discuss — along with everyone’s reaction to it on social media. We’re about to either enter the best four years in the history of America or the end of the world as we know it, depending on what side of the aisle you’re on. (Did I mention my birth parents are on opposite sides of the political spectrum?)
Despite the busyness of the season, I continue to look for the peace everyone wishes one another during the holidays. Sometimes I feel it is as elusive to me as happiness is to the Grinch before his heart grows three sizes.
Last year, feeling this exact same way, I wrote a column suggesting Christmas be moved to January to give us all a little breathing space between two major holidays featuring ridiculously large meals and large family gatherings. As far as I know, no one has picked up on this great idea.
So this year I will have to search for peace more diligently. I’ve started by praying the daily prayer in “Jesus Listens for Advent and Christmas” by Sarah Young.
Ainsley and I attended the women’s advent service at Zion Lutheran Church Tuesday night, where we heard the following.
“This Christmas and beyond, let us prioritize moments of quiet contemplation, prayer and service to others, embodying the selflessness and compassion exemplified by Jesus himself. By focusing on the real essence of Christmas, our hope is that we can all experience a deeper sense of joy, peace and fulfillment that transcends the fleeting pleasure of presents and the hectic pace of the season.”
The message reminds me of my favorite Christmas message, which I read as our before-dinner prayer every Dec. 25. It’s from “Simple Abundance” by Sarah Ban Breathnach, and the author is unknown.
“If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, and again with things; if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action, when will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the dessert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child, as did Mary? For each one of us, there is a desert to travel. A start to discover. And a being within ourselves to bring to life.”
Wishing you peace this holiday season.
— Pamela Lannom is editor of The Hinsdalean. Readers can email her at [email protected].
