I attended a funeral this morning. Funerals are hard enough anyway, but, thinking of the deceased's family, this time of year seems especially difficult. A niece of the woman spoke lovingly of her suddenly departed aunt and how much she loved Christmas - decorating for Christmas and baking Christmas cookies, all of which her aunt had already completed, as if she was leaving a gift for her grieving family.
Upon returning to my home, I looked about and was able to appreciate, a bit more, the tree with its lights aglow and the ornaments sparkling from the reflection of the lights. Even though Mother Nature is not cooperating with travelers, she is putting on an impressive show of winter stunts, holding nothing back from her bottomless bag of tricks.
'Tis a good afternoon to stay indoors. It is on days such as this that I miss a fireplace the most. The crackling and spitting of the wood as it burns is still archived in my aural memory, as is the sight of the mesmerizing flames as they dance about. Combine the aura of the fire with the lighted Christmas tree and you have an unbeatable Christmas setting.......one that could almost make a person forget the Holly Daze that tries to engulf us all.
There are still a few smallish gifts that need to be wrapped - mostly mine. I have as much fun selecting (and forgetting) my stocking stuffers as I do selecting 'stuffers' for others. Amidst the clutter of the glitter, the wrapping paper and the ribbon, there lies some of my joy for this season - giving to others. Even thinking of gifts for others is fun and relaxing. Watching the faces of the recipients, as they open their gifts, is what makes the experience fun and, well, turns the Holly Daze into the holidays.
As Christmas Eve and Christmas Day approach, I hope that each of you can feel your daze retreating amidst the glitter, wrapping and ribbon.
Ancora imparo
