Christmas

Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year when I think I have everything ready for The Big Day but there is so much sneaky work left to do I end up feeling like I will never be ready. Special occasions are a lot of work, especially when you have four children depending on you to provide the lights and magic.

It is through the stress of the season that I discover the most grace however. Feeling overwhelmed reminds me that I have a family, a lot going on, volunteering responsibilities, food to get on the table, gifts to wrap...all the things that I have that are stressing me out are the things I would miss the most if they weren't there. So I'm taking this moment in between cleaning like a dervish, trying to keep up with the ordinary clutter and getting the kids finished with their semester to reflect briefly on all the wonderful mess in my life at this time of year. Maybe I'll get a load in the wash while I'm at it.