tis' the season, isn't it?

... seems we're all rushing around in the last few days before the Christmas holiday.... tying up loose ends.... finding that one last gift for that somebody on our list.... getting caught up in a sea of wrapping paper, ribbon and scotch tape.... yes, there are those smartees who are super organized... the individuals who are blessed with the discipline of getting all of their shopping done early... and then... there's the rest of us.... we who strive and survive through the stress of running around with all of the other frantic shoppers, fighting for parking spaces at the mall..... and making our way, like salmon swimming upstream, through the crowds of shoppers who are, like you and me.... in the same boat!

On the flip side of the craziness that comes with the hustle and bustle of the season, is the sense of peace.... and noticing that people seem to be in better moods with the onset of the holidays. Folks smile at one another, and you find yourself saying hello to people or perfect strangers that, the rest of the year, might not capture your attention. There seems to be a higher level of patience held... and gratitude extended...

It's fun to watch families, as they hurry through their day, children entow, stop to look in a storefront window where the fuzzy body of a stuffed bear has caught the attention of a young child. Or the kids who volunteer to wrap your presents at the local bookstore while raising money for charity at the same time..... You quickly put aside any sense of perfection you might have in how you want to gift wrapped, when you watch the youngsters with their enthusiasm to complete the task.

It is the small moments of the season.... the "Hello" from a stranger with whom you cross paths on the street, to a child staring in wonderment at a tree glistening with lights and ornaments.... No matter where you are.... whether the ground is covered with snow, or it is warm enough to wear shorts and t-shirts, somehow, always, the spirit of the holiday arrives and touches each of us, in some way.

A quote for the day: A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours. John B. Priestly