As Christmas Descends...

I'm sitting here on December 22nd and for some reason I don't feel like Christmas is a mere three days away. I have no anticipation for the season this year. It's not a negative feeling but it's also not a positive feeling...It's just, well...nothing.

Part of the problem here is the fact that there's no snow on the ground and it just doesn't feel like Christmas. When I picture the Christmas season (as I'm sure everyone else does too) I see lots of snow on the ground, a nice cool temperature (at least below freezing) and a calmness to the air. Here in Calgary we have little to no snow on the ground anymore, the temperature gets above the freezing mark every day, and it's a crazy madhouse in the city as everyone is hustling around to get things done (ourselves included). There's not even the anticipation of this "setting for the season" in Ontario either as they're having warmer weather than we are and along with it will come rain!

Another factor in this is that we're going to Ontario for Christmas with my side of the family so we decided not to decorate the house or set up our Christmas tree. As a result, the look and feel in our house did not really change as the 25th approaches and I'm sure it has a lot to do with my mood right now. Christmas is not about the presents but there's something about having a nicely decorated tree up with presents you've bought for someone under there or presents someone bought for you that are there. It's the anticipation of seeing the look on their faces when the unwrap the present or having something wrapped in your hands and trying to figure out what it is.

Karyn and I do Christmas with each other a little differently. Last year we didn't want to buy each other Christmas cards so we went to the card aisle at Wally World, found one that was nice, and exchanged them in the aisle, after which we re-shelved them. This year we gave out presents to each other in stages, starting almost 2 weeks ago when I got new shoes for a function we were going to and then the following week a new dress jacket for yet another function. I gave Karyn some of her presents in similar manners (though the therma-rest she got she hasn't had a need to use yet!). Last night was the "big night" when we sat down at 10:30pm after packing for Ontario and gave each other the rest of our gifts...almost none were wrapped and in fact, I just took the ones for Karyn and put them in boxes we had ready for recycling!

Christmas for me is all about anticipation and that's really the true story of Christmas. Two thousand years ago as Joseph and Mary made their way to Bethlehem they were anticipating the birth of their son, Christ our Lord. The Jewish people of the day were anticipating this birth as the Son of God was being sent to His people. We today anticipate the coming again of Christ and the Christmas season helps remind us that yes, he is coming again.

I'm getting that anticipation more and more as I write this blog. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

God Bless,

D
(In Thornton, Ontario last Christmas!)