Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time
It is so sad to see Christmas 2015 starting to fade into the past.Besides the title of this post, there are thousands of songs written about wonderful, fleeting moments in life. And even more popular songs about how swiftly these moments pass: Precious and Few are the moments we two can share. Doesn’t every Country Music song include at least one line about it too?But the older I get the more quickly the time passes and the more precious these moments get. I loved this Christmas! There are so many reasons why this was the best Christmas yet. But the joy and wonder of having the family together was the best reason of all. This wonder was enhanced by my conscious decision to stop stressing about the preparations and the mess and just enjoy being present. It is amazing how much fun it is to sit and listen to those around me, without timing how long I can linger before I have to start on the next task.
I had a one man crusade to revive the art of conversation in this electronically handicapped era. Concentrating on keeping an interesting conversation going among the visiting friends and family has sharpened my wit and conversation skills and deepened the sense of community among all of us gathered.I also focused on being mindful – mindful of my words and my demeanor, choosing loving words and responses over judgmental reactions. Mindful of the cares and concerns of the people I was talking to – looking for commonality rather than differences. I tried to arrest anger at snarled logistics and put myself in other people’s shoes when they did not live up to my expectations. I gave them the benefit of the doubt – they did not mean to drop the ball, or not pitch in; they just needed a boost to get them working toward the end goal. 
And I practiced gratitude. I have been given so many gifts. I am so grateful for all of the love that surrounds me and all the many blessings I have.I decided to focus on one more thing: only the first day of Christmas is history. I still have 11 more Days of Christmas to enjoy, before it is time to Turn the Page. © Jane F. Collen Dec. 26, 2015
