Christmas

When there has not been the mad scramble of preparation for Christmas, it seems that there is also not the big let-down the day after. A quiet advent leads to a quiet Christmas and a gentle passing into the post-Christmas season. We didn’t get everything we ever wanted, but we didn’t expect to, and this year that was most definitely not the point. We spent some time with people, in some cases not enough and in others a little too much, but that’s how it goes.

Did we successfully make more room in our hearts for Christ? I hope so. I think so. We had more space for that without all the other mess of thinking that usually ties us up at this time. What does that really mean, anyway? Will we argue less? Probably. Did we learn more? Maybe, but I think we learn through the stressed out times, too. Maybe we’ll live a little longer from having had less stress about shopping and wrapping and spending.

I think what I like most about the past couple of weeks and the week or two to come is having time to think, and not just in the figurative sense, but literally to just sit and ponder things that I’m reading, follow thoughts that I’m having, and write some things down just to see where that takes me.

I think maybe that is partly what I’ve been missing so much for all these years and just didn’t know it. Instead of rushing off to finish a list of chores I have to do, I can just think. I suppose most people would find that silly and not very worthwhile, but I think it’s incredibly valuable, even if nothing comes of it. One thing that does come of it is better mental health, anyway, at least for me for now. Maybe in another season I won’t think so much of it, but for now I do.