by the Artist
This year is a different Christmas for me but more so for my east coast family. My father fell and broke his hip, and will spend Christmas in rehab. My father's sister is moving into his house while she figures out where she wants to live next after some life changes. In the meantime my sister has been trying to stay on top of taking care of my father's needs- kicking in Long Term Care Insurance, bringing requested items to the rehab facility, and preparing his home for his sister to move in. She carrys a heavy load with me 1200 miles away. So.. there will be no Christmas in Doylestown PA this year. And that is a first.
I've told both my sister and aunt.. please don't worry about gifts this year. It doesn't matter. Give yourself permission to let it go. I've had years where I didn't put up a tree. And it was okay. I didn't really miss it.
For me... this Christmas is different too. The Carpenter.. after an extremely busy fall.. continues not to be home very much. (right now as I write this at 6:30 PM he is yet again at Home Depot picking up supplies for tomorrow morning.) So I've been taking care of Christmas preparations. Today I was at Cabella's waiting in a long line of Christmas shoppers when one of their clerks fainted (or something like that) The EMT's came and they helped the poor guy onto the gurney. He could hardly hold himself up. I usually get squeamish when I see medical emergencies, but this time I talked myself through my panic and prayed for him. How awful to collapse in a public place with everyone looking at you.
In the blink of an eye Christmas plans can change.
I choose to let go. Embrace or at the very least relax into what life is sending my way. I choose to enjoy my "lightly" decorated home, to look forward to spending Christmas day with my Minnesota family, I choose to accept the ordinary and maybe... will find the extraordinary.
I choose to be present this Christmas. To remember the reason behind why we deck the halls, stand in long lines, hunt for the perfect gift, and spend long hours in the kitchen. There is nothing in the bible that requires us to do so. We need only accept that one precious gift.
Blessings.