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| Scarlett |
This Christmas season has been wonderful; a joyful and restorative sabbatical from a busy life. This year, I didn't let the season get lost in the shopping and decorating, but instead, savored the moments as each one came along, and then tucked them securely in my heart to treasure forever. Our gifts to each other were not measured by quantity, but by the thoughtfulness that went into selecting them from the wishes or needs that we heard each other voice, at different times, throughout the year. We did not prepare our meals with a frantic need for perfection and the accompanying anxiety that results from it, but rather, at a leisurely pace, as we shopped together for all the ingredients and then prepared them alongside of each other, in a kitchen that rang with conversation and laughter. My oldest daughter took charge of the Christmas Eve dinner, and did so, with a calm and quiet confidence, that put everyone else at ease. As we ate our meal together, we took notice of how good everything tasted, and expressed our gratitude to each person for the contributions they had made.
This year I took the time to visit with friends; enjoying my conversations with them, as we remembered Christmases past, while making memories for Christmases in the future. We talked about cookies and children and life...and I made sure to hug each of them and to tell them how happy I was to be with them.
I took a drive with my youngest daughter, along snowy back roads that were surrounded by farmland. The pine trees and houses that we passed, were blanketed with freshly fallen snow which sparkled in the sunlight, like the glittering landscapes depicted on my Christmas cards. We were even blessed to see some horses wearing woolly coverings on their backs, to keep them warm in the winter weather. They looked so picturesque as they walked along the snowy fence line, that I regret not stopping to take a picture of them, so I could capture the memory forever.
Today, I look forward to attending the winter wedding of a young woman very dear to our family. The bride grew up along with my own four girls, and is like a daughter to me herself. She will walk down the aisle with the twins acting as two of her bridesmaids, and I know the moment will be very poignant to me, as they pass by where I am seated. It will be a day filled with cherished memories of the past and joyful anticipation for the future, and I know that it too, will be a day that I will treasure always.
My winter break is an extended one this year, so I have several more days before I return to my regular routine. I want to go back feeling refreshed and happy, so I am going to spend this precious time off doing the things that I enjoy. I will visit a different church for mass on NewYears Day, and see another altar adorned in its Christmas splendor. I will go for long walks and drives, and enjoy nature, in this snowy winter wonderland, so reflective of the season. I will spend my time with those I love and more friends I want to visit with, while I ignore a bit of holiday dust and clutter...making sure to appreciate all that I hold dear and all that I am blessed with.
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