I Am Ready!

Christmas Card Photo 2011

Every year, I swear that "This will be the year!" The year that I am ready on time for Christmas. I mean it is not like I don't know it is coming. I mean I do have an entire year to prepare.  I think a couple of key events happened to cause this Christmas miracle. First, I read an entry, in what has now become one of my favorite books: Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, which simply stated that "For every YES, let there be a NO." Really? Can one actually say NO? You see, I have never been good at saying NO so I just rarely ever did!  But this suggestion of just saying one NO for every YES resonated with me. More surprising, is that I actually started practicing this new and absurd philosophy and guess what? I had a little more time in my schedule but wasn't guilty because I was still saying YES some of the time! Coupled with this revelation, was my own realization and daily reminder that Christmas is a season, NOT a day.  By looking at it in this way, I have been able to really enjoy the preparations and events...instead of obligingly working my way through it all! Finally, and perhaps most importantly I discovered a little online holiday organizing system via Punchbowl. To say that it helped me get my shit together prepared is an understatement. The timeline and email reminders made it all possible.  So here I sit, five full days out, listening to carols and I am ready! Baking: check! Shopping: check! Cards: check! Wrapping: check! Praying: ongoing!  I am looking forward to dinner out with old friends tomorrow evening. Another dinner out with family on Friday evening and finally Christmas Eve and Day with my most beloved. I am blessed and grateful, although still slightly irritated that I work for a school system that remains open through Friday December 23rd at 3:40....uggh!  Merriest of Christmases to you and yours!