The Real Reason for the Season

Well, ok, the pumpkins may be a little seasonal but the dress is spot on for the yuletide.  The bow and the full skirt are darling and the fit is its own gift.

I find that every year I get so caught up in doing the required things that it's easy to get overwhelmed and view the holidays more as a series of obligations rather than a season of wonder.

As soon as I start grumbling, I know it's time to take a minute, step away from the obligations and breathe.  

I don't want to resent the holiday busyness of the people who volunteer me for one more gathering, one more gift exchange, one more school fund raiser.  These things are important and I want to do it all with a smile, but it doesn't always come easily.

It helps me to take a few moments alone and remember the things I loved about this time of year as a child.  Maybe I'll read all the Christmas cards we've collected over the years.  Maybe I'll clear a path and lay under the Tree and look at all the lights the way I've done every year for the past 37 or so that I can remember. And of course, I'll read the story of the birth of Jesus and the simple shepherds who came to worship him under the stars.

This is a beautiful season and a wonderful time of year.  While it's easy to overwhelmed by all there is to do, there's so much more to be thankful for that it's worth all the effort to make this season as merry and as bright as possible.