Happy Who-lidays!
Oh I wish I had a river, that I could skate away on.
- Joni Mitchell
Each year, I make the decision that I can hold off on my preparations for Christmas until after my birthday. I spend the first week of December pampering myself and doing as little as possible. Then as soon as the cloud of steam lifts from my birthday spa treatment, I discover that the blessed day is only a week or so away and I go into full-scale panic.
The impossible list of what needs to be done comes crashing down on my head like a glistening pile of brick-sized snowflakes. Presents! Cards! Decorations! Food! Packages to be assembled and sent halfway across the country! Realizing that I have aquired a heavy debt during my birthday respite, I instantly turn all scaly and start yelling at everyone.
After a few days of the frantic, sweating activity that it takes to get a handle on all of this, I calm down and start thinking about the meaning of it all. I mean for those of us who don’t spend our Sundays venerating Jesus and even for those who do, how is it possible to find peace, comfort and joy in the frenzy of this massive snowball of a holiday?
After really thinking it through, I’ve come up with a few solid reasons why I stick with Christmas. And here they are:
One, we get a few days off work. Two, it’s an excuse to indulge in a lot of our favorite treats. And three, – this here is the clincher – if we’re lucky, some of our favorite people come around to visit.
Dear friends, we look forward to seeing you. You are the reason we celebrate.