Christmas was three days ago. You really wouldn't know that looking around here with my Christmas china waiting to be put away for another year, my tree still up (it's real...and is probably a fire hazard about now) and a poinsettia that will refuse to die until 2013 (and it will live in its little foil world until then because I'm not heartless enough to throw it away while it is still looking somewhat alive) sitting across the room.
I just moved the "12 Days of Christmas" glasses back a few inches so that I can rest my hands more comfortably on the keyboard...although there are really only "10 Days of Christmas" in my world because Day 7 and Day 12 came to some unfortunate end sometime over the past twenty years that I've owned these glasses. Of course, the red and green M & Ms are taunting me on the other side of the room but little do they know that they aren't even remotely tempting while "Santa's White Christmas" ice cream from Publix is in the house. Yes, after failing to find any after a week of trying at my local store, I asked them to call around and secured some at the Publix across town. Apparently, their management is either better friends with the people in the warehouse, the people across town eat healthier, or they didn't sample this during their Christmas sample-palooza. Beats me...but I'm fairly certain that if they had sampled this particular concoction at that Publix...they'd have run out too.
Anyway, there is a bowl game on television, the weather is still cold, and my kids are still out of school. I had to go back to work yesterday, and went to bed last night at 7:30 p.m. and slept until 7:00 a.m. to gear myself up for today. It is obviously exhausting to be on vacation. I hadn't been in awhile...so I suppose I'd forgotten. It's a good kind of exhausting, though.
I've had a wonderful week all in all. I have received more than I asked for and way more than I deserve in gifts, thoughfulness, love, surprises, kind words, and Christmas cards. I am so blessed to have the people that I do in my life...whether they were there for a reason, for a season, or for life. It matters not to me.
I had a heart-to-heart with God the other day while I was driving down the road and it was a good conversation. With all of the busyness and preparation for the season of His birth, I had been strangely out of contact. I suppose that He heard me because it appears that something that has been really on my heart is being rectified. I hope that the answered prayer is indeed that and not just another temporary reprieve from the wondering. I suppose that time will tell. But for now...all is well.
Thinking back over all that represented this Christmas, I realize that it was an exceptionally good year. Oh, the bills are arriving, but all in all, it went well. I didn't send out all I intended to on time, lost one gift card that someone was supposed to get that I thought was under the tree but apparently wasn't, lost a couple of addresses and ran out of cards, but I hope I'll be forgiven this year. I missed seeing some of my family due to circumstances beyond everyone's control; but that was the worst of it.
The weather was brisk and felt like Christmas to me. I met my new great-nephew...who is beyond precious. My kids were both home, the house stayed reasonably straight, and I got everything purchased and wrapped in pretty much record time. It helped tremendously to have a daughter who actually enjoys wrapping gifts and my over the top obsession with bargain hunting that actually worked out beyond my wildest expectations this year.
We had time with friends that we don't see often enough...and ate enough food to actually get tired of eating. I turned down some truly wonderful food that I would have liked to consume, but I was just so over it. Shocking! But for me...the season is having that time to lay eyes on people that I care about...to give them a hug and catch up on what is going on in their lives. I've also met new people this Christmas and I've enjoyed that as well...friends of friends...so to speak. If there's going to be any "expanding" going on around here...I want it to be in my circle of friends and not my waistline.
Now the upcoming year is just in front of us like a brand new promise of something wonderful. In January, my daughter will be 21. In May, my son - and my baby - will graduate from high school. In August, he will begin his first year of college, and my girl will begin her last. This time next year, we will be paying for her final semester in college. She is still on schedule. Both the fact that she is...and that she is three semesters away from finishing totally amazes me.
I don't know if you are like me and make resolutions every year that you try to keep but can't seem to generate enthusiasm for past February. This year, I'd like to actually keep my resolutions short term...so I'm coming up with twelve month long changes that I'm going to try very diligently to keep...for one month each. Maybe I can keep it up longer...but I won't feel guilty if I don't. I promise to outline these in the next day or so as I get myself all fired up for the new year that lies ahead.
I suppose it is time to decorate my house for "not Christmas" as my friend, Stan, stated on his Facebook status recently. But I'm really not ready to let go yet. Maybe it's because we got a really wonderful gift for Christmas that we aren't sure is what we think it is...but may actually be. Perhaps I want to learn how to use my new Nook before I undress the tree. Maybe I want to balance my checkbook and just rest after six weeks of go-go-go for a day or so before I drag the umpteen dozen boxes out of the attic and adjust to my house looking like it does most of the time.
I just want to bask in the Christmas after-glow a little longer. After all...it will be back around before we know it.
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