I heard, really heard for the first time the words of a familiar Christmas Carol, “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.” The specific words which grabbed my attention were, “Our hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
My emotions are like the cumbersome metronome swinging predictably from one weighted side to the other on the top of our ancient upright childhood piano. Back and forth, back and forth it swings. I’ve allowed my holiday mood to be dictated by whatever the most recently received crackling ethernet message is. I should instead give the myriad, joyful, effervescent family stories the permission to bubble up and sparkle my holiday consciousness.
During this holiday season, we fret about how to ensure that our guests feel welcome, feel like they belong in our living rooms. How about we whittle this stressor down to one action plan; intentional listening to make sure that all who cross our threshold are being heard?
In counting my blessings this week, at the top of my list is my husband. Twenty years ago, before I had reconnected with Tim (we were childhood playmates), and after my divorce, I wrote some words describing what I longed for in a partner.
I asked my daughter in law what my oldest teenage granddaughter was into these days because her birthday is coming up and I wanted her gift from me to be in the ballpark of her heart’s desire. Her response was a specific jewelry item and brand that is currently trending.
I sleep with a face mask on and with ear plugs in to muffle the noisy craziness and shut out the startling fireworks of the day. Tuning out and turning off helps me to gently fall asleep and wake up with a vitalized outlook.