Now it’s just days away from Christmas and time to finish all the preparations. The season’s not as frantic as it was when I was working and raising our sons. But still, time goes by quickly and things I intended to accomplished will be left undone. This is the 4th Sunday in the Christian season of Advent and we’ll light the candle representing Love. I think of divine love that is represented by the baby in the manger, God’s promise fulfilled. That love spills into other love that surrounds me during this season of the year.

One of my favorite things at Christmas are all the colorful lights. Since I was a girl, the types of lights for inside and outside have multiplied. Nothing brings out the wonder of Christmas like lighted trees and blow-up Santas, Grinches, snowmen etc. In my home, I most love my lighted glass trees that are displayed in front of my recovered stained glass window that became a mirror. Those trees were a gift I gave myself the year of my divorce. They remind me how I can create my own place of beauty as a single woman.

I wonder, what are the things you love in your house during the holiday season?

Christmas always makes me nostalgic for the holidays of my childhood. I think of those people I’ve loved who are no longer with me. I remember how Daddy enjoyed the holiday including eating Mama’s chocolate walnut cake. He would painstakingly crack and pick out the nut meats from the walnuts of the huge tree in our yard. I wish I could tell Mama how much I appreciated her hard work to make our holiday special.

Today, my younger sister, Peggy and I visited our cousin, Betty. She’s sixteen years older than me and she and her parents always ate Christmas Eve dinner with us. It was important to take the time today to be with Betty and her husband. There are many choices of how to spend our time, but I’ve learned that you can’t recover time you lost with your family–or others you hold dear. The Christmas after Mama died, Peggy gave me an ornament with a cardinal that represents the dear mother who was no longer with us. When I see it on my tree, I think of Mama and all the other family members that we miss.

I wonder who you loved who’s no longer with you?

Seeing how time passes so quickly, thinking of those who are no longer here, I realize the importance of spending my time and energy with the ones I love. I have to be intentional in planning time to be with my sons and grandsons, my boyfriend, friends, and extended family. That is my value for the holiday season as well as in the year ahead. Some of the love needs to be extended to myself; it takes self-care and consideration for my needs in order to be healthy.

I wonder who are the people you love who are a priority for you now and in the year ahead? How will you extend that same love to yourself?

My hope for you is to feel the love of the season in the week ahead. The decorations and food and celebration may not be all you’d planned. But may you focus on the most important things and be at peace.

Connie