December 2019
Mix-and-match wrapping paper.
Bubble wrap for packaging.
Winter Berries stamps.
Cantata rehearsals.
Appetizer recipes on Pinterest.
(Endless) to-do lists.
Amazon packages.
Christmas cards to stamp and address.
Cookie swaps.
Shipping deadlines.
Various versions of Jingle Bells in lessons every week.
These are the things our December days are made of.
Real-life December means we're behind on our Advent calendar. Because part of me feels like if I don't turn the cards over, the days won't go by so quickly.
It means a stack of holiday sheet music (sorted by level) to bring into lessons and holiday-themed activities for studio class.
It means daily to-do lists to try to keep up with gifts to wrap, gifts to ship, holiday baking, social engagements, online orders, and home repairs to make sure something doesn't slip through the cracks.
It's ironic, isn't it?
"A season that is, at its heart, a love story — a story about faith and fragility, angels, a baby, a star — that sweet, simply beautiful story gets lost so easily in a jarring, toxic tangle of sugar and shopping bags and rushing and parking lots [and rehearsals and parties and services] and expectations." - Shauna Niequist, Bread and Wine
For many, December is one of the busiest months of the year. But I believe there are small ways we can choose to live in the moment and savor the sweetness of this season, even in the midst of the hustle and bustle.
Peppermint mocha (or tea!).
Small acts of kindness.
Lights on the tree, wreaths on the windows.
Nichole Nordeman's new Christmas album.
Self-care.
Christmas piano duets in the living room.
Gingerbread cookies.
Cozy nights in.
Candlelight services.
Neighborhood caroling.
These are the things that remind us to slow down, to pay attention, to be still.
Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.
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