Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we put on a spread of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc... followed up with a choice of pies. It was a wonderful meal (if I may say so myself), shared with wonderful people. We had our parents over, along with Erick & Liz and Liz' grandma, and my brother Tom & Miho. A full table filled with food! Now, the sun is shining and there is a definite nip in the air.
The frost will soon be upon us and with it, the holiday rush. I was chatting with a friend this morning who agrees that Christmas should not be a time focused on "me, me, me" and what I will GET this month. It should be a time of peace. A time of His Peace - the Peace that passes all understanding.
On Facebook, I joined a group called "Keep Christ in CHRISTmas." Of course, that is where my beliefs lie. We certainly celebrate Christmas because of Christ and His gift of salvation to this troubled world. However, I am not one of those naive Christians who think that everything about Christmas is because of Christ. It is true that this is the time we celebrate the birth of the Christchild, but the reason we celebrate it on December 25th is because, at the time of converting the pagans during the Dark Ages, there was already a Holy Day after the winter solstice (Dec 21) when the people celebrated the lengthening days and paid tribute to the sun gods. Or something like that. The Christians came along and used that celebration time as a stepping stone to conversion - in modern parlance, we might say the they co-opted the holiday and made it their own. Hence, the use of lights - whether that be the German tradition of lighted evergreen trees, or the sparkling icicle-like lights on our eaves, and even the lighting of the Lucia Bride's crown. Several saints are celebrated this time of year, including Saint Nicholas, who was said to have given gifts to the poorer families in his region, and Saint Lucia, who gave away her dowry and ran away from an unwanted marriage. The modern giving of gifts can be traced back to these people and their generosity, or all the way back to God's gift of salvation, made manifest in the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Any way you slice it, this is a time of year when we are preparing for celebration - by purchasing gifts for our loved ones, baking goodies to share, putting out lights to cheer the neighborhood and enjoying time spent with friends and family. Why do we get into such a tizzy? Why?
It was just a normal-seeming moment: as I watched my big, fluffy Misty pop in through the cat door, she was followed by her sleek black sister, Licorice. I exclaimed to Misty, "You brought your sister home for Christmas!" and they both just stared at me with silly, cheerful, kitty grins on their faces. It was one of those dreams that was so realistic, I believed it was true!
When I woke up this morning, I was painfully disappointed to find that it was just a dream - again. And Misty was too. She's sitting on my lap now, purring and reaching her paws out to my hands and wrists trying to get me to stop typing, and pet her! I wonder if she had the same dream. I wonder if she's still missing her sister too. Normally, she's very independent - content to sit beside me and snore while I'm sitting at my desk. But this morning as I retrieved the newspaper, got my cup of tea and settled down to relax a few minutes, she hasn't wanted to leave my side - or my lap! 
The frost will soon be upon us and with it, the holiday rush. I was chatting with a friend this morning who agrees that Christmas should not be a time focused on "me, me, me" and what I will GET this month. It should be a time of peace. A time of His Peace - the Peace that passes all understanding.
