one question

I have one big question today:

How in the world did it become December 17th so darn fast? Honestly, it seems like yesterday I was SHOCKED to look at the calendar and realize it was the 4th of DECEMBER. I honestly could not believe it. And now we have eight days ’til Christmas.

In my dreams Christmas is NOT supposed to be like this. Mothers should not be running around like chickens with their heads chopped off. Mothers should be snuggling with their children drinking hot cocoa draped in the warmth of dim Christmas lights nearby, or happily gathering with extended family for parties and good food.

My visions of a good Christmas season don’t generally include being too busy to even talk to your husband or to take time to follow through with your favorite Christmas tradition of reading a Christmas story under the Christmas tree every night. We should be through a good fourteen heart-melter stories by now. We’ve had TWO. (Although I’m going to go ahead and count one of them for like five ’cause we were all crying we were laughing so hard about Frosty the Snowman…but that’s a story for another day.)

Every single year I make a vow that next year will be different. “Next year I’ll be on the ball,” I reassure myself. But the next year comes, and it’s the same frantic rush. I’ve come to the conclusion that I just need to ride the waves and try to make good choices…since after all CHOOSE the best part is still my “word” for the year. There will always be something to fill up the time. If it’s not photography it’s a concert. Or a fund raiser. Or being more involved in the school. Whatever it is, I just need to turn my heart more to what matters…and sleep more…and then all is right in the world again. Yeah, much easier said than done.

So tonight my sweet Elle called us all over to the Christmas tree and read us The Tale of Three Trees…one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories. (Maybe that’s the key…have one of your kids pick up your slack…and even though Elle was the one reading I still cried.) And once again, that Christmas spirit spilled right in. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m always one step behind, but I think the steps are getting smaller.