decorations

Last year I didn't put up a single decoration for Christmas. This year I thought I might continue the trend. It's just me, after all.

I would have to fill my own stocking and eat all the cookies in the jar. (Have you ever seen one lonely stocking hanging above the fireplace?)

I would know what was inside every gift under the tree, no surprises. (Where is the magic in that?)

There's really no point, is there?

And then the snow started to fall. In big, wet flakes. I put on my snow pants and caught flakes on my tongue and made angels with my limbs. And when I was cold and wet I came in, put a little Baileys in my coffee, pushed play on my favorite Christmas album, and lit a maple butter scented candle.

Maybe just the nativity, I thought.

And as I was unpacking Joseph, Mary holding the baby Jesus, and the little shepherd, I remembered that this is what Christmas is all about. This visual reminder that what is important is not how many stockings are hung by the chimney, or whose names are on the tags under the tree.

For unto us a child is born... 

For unto us (the single, the married, the family, the widow, the orphan, the dead and the unborn) a child is born...

Not so we can feel sorry for ourselves when life isn't packaged how we wanted or expected. Or refuse to participate in seasons of "togetherness". But so we can have peace, the Prince of Peace, in our hearts, our lives, our homes.

And so as the snow continued to fall and the house began to smell more and more like homemade cookies and I hit repeat on my favorite CD, I added a garland and some lights. Ornaments and a snow globe. A wreath and two stockings (one for my dog!).

And a bucket for coal, just in case.

EMBRACE DECORATIONS.

I know it's not even Thanksgiving so I shouldn't be talking about Christmas yet. But the snow made me do it!