Christmas Spirit

For the past several weeks I have been frantically trying to clean the house, decorate inside and out, finish my Christmas shopping, wrap gifts, bake cookies.... wait, where was I?  Oh yes, losing my mind!  Let me know if you find it. 
 
In the meantime, I was getting more stressed out and starting to dread the big day - not as a celebration, but as a deadline. It was a deadline in which all the gifts had to be wrapped, the packing for traveling done, the big dinner prepared, and the shopping completed.  From under a mountain of rolls of wrapping paper, I realized I had to have everything done by December 25th and the day was speeding toward me like a freight train with no intention of stopping.  

But tonight, as we attended mass at our church, all the stress and anxiety melted away.  As I sat in church with my family at my side, the church decorated with lit trees and colorful poinsettias, I felt everything else slip away and was able to focus on the true meaning of the holiday.  Before mass began, I sat admiring the nativity scene and thought on a quiet night, thousands of years ago, a young mother was having a very special baby in a stable. Jesus was born.

The service continued with song and prayer and with each passing minute, I could feel the Christmas spirit flowing through me again.  I became at peace. I glanced  at my husband, smiled at my children, and realized that everything I need in the whole world was in that building right then and there.  I had God and my family.

On the way home in the car, even the children talked about how much they liked the priest that presided over the service and what a nice homily he delivered.  They marveled over the lights all over the Christmas trees and the huge star that hung over the manger. I told the children that it was in church that it started to feel like Christmas for me.  They, of course, said they have felt it all along since we started decorating right after Thanksgiving,  But then again, they weren't doing all the work!

This time of year really is a magical time of year.  At night everything falls quiet. I sit in the silence, which seems more profound on Christmas Eve, like the whole world is holding its breath anticipating the big event, the birth of our Lord.  And as I sit in silence, I really am reminded that it's not the presents or the decorations that make it Christmas.  For me, it is the time to reflect and be thankful for all the happy, healthy family I have, for good friends, and the faith we share that carries us through the difficult times.

My wish for you, my readers, is that you find that same sense of inner peace and appreciate the wonderful things that are already in your life and slow down a bit to savor each and every one.

Have a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!