Haul Out the Holly

We're just 2 days away from Christmas! Every year I look forward to this whole season with the joy and anticipation of a child; there is warmth and love everywhere, people are friendly, and I can even be civil while driving with the pleasant tones of Christmas carols on the radio. It is no secret that I am not a terribly organized person (perhaps that is an understatement?) and so this time every year also brings out a personal challenge to stay focused on the True Meaning and not get wrapped up (no pun intended) in the hoop-la. Of course, I LIKE the hoop-la, but I try to make my spiritual growth a priority, and not stress out about what I haven't done.

So this year... I haven't wrapped, baked, or hung up my wreaths. I didn't remember to put out our Advent tablecloth for a liturgical focus in our Domestic Church, and the Advent candles melted over the summer so we didn't even have an Advent Wreath. I decided to make my niece's Christmas gift and haven't started painting yet. I was going to write a blog post about the Best Christmas Music of all time. I didn't send out any Christmas cards.

I HAVE... spent a lot of time gazing lovingly into the eyes of a newborn. Isn't that what we're supposed to be preparing for, anyways? There is nothing glamorous about being 2 weeks post-partum and getting very little sleep. My house will not make the cover of a magazine for the "homiest most festive places on earth" and Martha Stewart does not want to conduct an interview to find out my holiday secrets. Instead, I am spending my time and energy on 2 little Pure and Spotless Souls.

I am watching all the tiny movements and listening to the squeaks and peeps of a newborn. As I feel her tiny breath upon my skin I contemplate another Newborn, and His first breaths. There was nothing glamorous about His first dwelling on earth, either. If I listen closely I can hear His voice in her grunts and peeps, and if I loo closely I can see His love through her eyes. I feel her warmth and know His love.

We're just 2 days away from Christmas, nothing is done, and yet this year I think I am more prepared for Christmas than I have ever been.