Christmas 365

I am not sure about you, but I am giddy for Christmas. For me, it is an essential human element, no different than water or oxygen. I cannot survive without it.

For many, Christmas is a time of great family love, generous acts, kind words and peaceful solitude. This season has preciousness unlike any other time of the year; one cannot feel like they do at Christmas during the Fourth of July or while celebrating Labor Day weekend. Christmas is in a league onto itself.

I quote Carolyn Briggs: "Christmas is one of those fleeting but essential "aah" moments of generosity, family bonding and extravagance of spirit that psychologists tell us matter because they give us the opportunity to transcend, appreciate and feel outside of time."

To transcend time, appreciate time and to feel outside of time: In this frenzied world I ask you, "What possibly can be better?"

I desire Christmas. I get anxious for Christmas. I need Christmas. And, I regret that the spirit of Christmas lasts only a few days a year. Imagine what the world would be like if we could have an "extravagance of spirit" 365 days a year. My Christmas wish each and every year is that the spirit of Christmas would not end at the dawn of the New Year. It amazes me how blissful we all are the last week of December, only to return to our frenetic and thoughtless ways on January 2.

How better would this world be if we allowed the spirit of this season to live on throughout the year?

Today was a day of bliss. It started with a long walk with the pups along the river. Most of the rest of the day was consumed with bellyaching laughter around the kitchen table interrupted occasionally by extreme Christmas cookie decorating and the preparation of cappelletti for tomorrow evening's traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal. Gabriella and Isabella both outpaced the adults every step of the way and almost half of the cookies they decorated made it on to the trays, we have no idea what happened to the rest. But I never should have asked Gabriella if she had too much sugar. (See the stink eyes in large.)

Thank you for the kindness on my image of yesterday. As is most often the case, I was overwhelmed by your comments, stars and hearts but I spent no time online today and I have not had the chance to catch up with you and thank you. I do hope that you are having an extraordinary weekend.