preparation

From mid-November through December, we all spend a lot of energy thinking and preparing for the holidays. The Christmas season is such a special time of year, despite being laden with endless chores. It’s a season of preparation for one's heart and mind. We don’t always focus on the birth of Christ, but hopefully, that is the underlying thread that ties it all together!

I’m a planner. I like to organize and orchestrate events. One might think it’s because I like to be in control, and maybe there's a tad of truth to that, but it’s much more than being in control. Time together is so precious, so I do all I can to make it the most valuable. I spend many waken moments setting a stage in my mind of how I want the day to unfold. Then I venture into preparation-mode hoping the holiday will "unfold" as I conjured up in my head. The first task of setting the stage is actually setting the stage.

Prepping one's home for Christmas isn't easy. It can be a very messy and cumbersome job involving many trips up and down the stairs as I unravel Christmas throughout the house. The one joyous moment, besides when the job is done, is listening to Christmas music on the radio. My holiday season usually starts with December by George Winston. I'm sure my kids have this CD embedded in their memory, as the solemn tunes make one feel like being still and quiet and prepare for the cold, dark months of winter. Once the decorating task is complete, tree and all, I can move onto other things, such as shopping for gifts and baking cookies.

Shopping has eased a bit, especially this year. My kids are adults and don't need as much. Then again, do any of us really need anything? This phase of preparation is somewhat chaotic with a bunch of random busyness and activity. I tend to waste a lot of time and gas running around from store to store. I try to order gifts online, but I'm not a huge fan of this kind of shopping. I also like to support local businesses. I end up spending more money, but it really is rather enjoyable shopping at smaller-independent shops as opposed to massive stores. My need for being organized starts to really take hold when I’m ready to plan my menu.

For some reason, I find menu-planning quite fun. It's not because I'm such a great cook, but the food is what really brings us together. I enjoy looking up recipes and devising the meal. The meal is the main attraction because all the guests come together around the table in an intimate gathering. At one point in life, Christmas was all about the presents under the tree. Now it's about eating and pairing food with a nice beverage. Once my meal has been established, I write out a list of all the ingredients required and I purchase them as I’m out and about. I try to stay on top of each dish to avoid confusion and stress. It's not in my nature to be void of stress, especially when I’m busy in the kitchen cooking, but if everyone around me is enjoying being together, I’m at my best in my own little world prepping and preparing the meal.

There’s something about watching your vision unfold. I don’t need to be a part of every conversation. I love being a bystander watching others be together and talking and sharing. I get great joy out of being an observer. Besides, I don’t have one of those massive kitchens where everyone can participate or just linger. It’s a one to a two-person kitchen built 80 years ago when living in the south was a bit different compared to today.

This is our third Christmas season in the South, but our first Christmas celebrated in the South. This too is bittersweet. Although I’m thrilled to be in my own home, there is a big dose of disappointment not being able to share this time with the rest of my family up North. There often are some course-adjustments along the road of life. It’s more unusual for families to live in the same town these days. We’ve been very fortunate to have raised our kids with both sides of our families nearby for many years.

Christmas is less than a week away. The gifts are wrapped, the cookies are baked and I await my out-of-town daughter and her boyfriend to arrive in a few days. This is a big thrill for me, having us all together under one roof for more than a day or two. Our Thanksgiving celebration on the beach, in some ways, did feel a bit similar. It’s so nice to have more than a few fleeting hours together. This is something I hope to incorporate into our ever-changing lives. Life comes without an extended warranty. It can change quickly, so we need to gather together whenever we can.

So, here's to wishing all of you a very warm and Merry Christmas. I’m sure I’ll be writing some more, but in case I don’t get back to this blog, hoping your holiday season is magical and full of wonder as we celebrate a supernatural event: God came down to earth!