I am now ready for the holidays.
It took me a few weeks, but, today there’s snow on the ground, and it’s cold, I feel like Scrooge reborn. I’ve just come back from running down the streets looking to buy the largest goose that money can buy. I really should’ve put on a coat. And shoes.
I hardly noticed the impending frostbite as I raced along the snow coated sidewalk, filled with the joy of the holidays, wanting to wish every soul in Christendom a Merry Christmas. Admittedly, I failed to find a goose. Well. A dead and plucked goose, that is. There were plenty of living geese. They tried to bite me.
I’ve had my shopping done for weeks now, and that stress is completely gone. I even got everything wrapped and mailed. Everyone on my list should have their gifts with time to spare. No more rushing about in a frenzy for me, nope, it’s time to savor the sights and smells of the happiest season of all. I wish I had a fireplace, to get a fire going, so I could just sit and stare at it, drinking something hot, maybe with some carols playing.
Carols! I haven’t been much in the mood for music. It starts earlier every year, and I tend to try and deliberately avoid it until at least the second week of December. Right now, I am ready to crank some tunes. I might even be craving some good old fashioned caroling. I’m sure I can find a group of smiling people wandering the neighborhood, ready to serenade our neighbors. They might even be wearing weather appropriate clothing. And probably smell strongly of egg nog, extra light on the egg.
I think I am now ready to spend some quiet nights around a table with some friends and family, making ornaments or decorating cookies. Maybe we could get out a board game, and sit for hours laughing and snacking while we played something fun that nobody felt compelled to keep score.
It’s probably time to put up the tree, or lights. Sure, everyone’s had their trees and lights up for weeks, but, I’ve not really decorated for years. Now I’m seized by the need to have a tree, maybe even a real one, to fill the house with the scent of evergreen. I saw a perfectly good one out by the dumpster just yesterday, and it smelled fantastic, and the needles were not dry at all! No one would even notice if I were to borrow it for a few weeks.
Maybe I should take some time off work, and spend some time in quiet reflection. I could use some time to order my thoughts in preparation for the New Year. I could take a few days, just to take deep breaths, and slow down, be in the moment. I think it’s time.