Last-Minute
“As we
struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by
December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are
people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to
whom we are worth the same.”
Donald E.
Westlanke
I heard Lester Holt say
on the news last night that today is “Panic Saturday”—when all
the last-minute Christmas shoppers frantically fill the malls with
frenzied activity. Since it is now too late to order on-line and have
gifts delivered by mail, they have to go in person to purchase
whatever is left on their list. The mall-owners must be gratified.
They've survived one more year, at least. I confess that I've never
done the “camp-out-in-the-parking-lot-and-rush-the-doors” sort of
shopping—just the idea of it is enough to cause me shortness of breath.
But some folks find it exhilarating. I do fondly remember going
shopping with my dad to buy a Christmas gift for my mother. He hated
shopping as much as I do, so he put it off until the last possible
moment—5:30 on Christmas Eve. As I recall, there was not much left
to buy, which made selecting easier.
Waking up in the morning
and realizing that I have the luxury of an ordinary day is
exhilarating enough for me. Such a blessing! I figure I can fritter
my time away and accomplish nothing, or I can throw myself into a
task with enthusiasm. I am not good at frittering; it feels like a
wasted day to me. So, I make most of the gifts I give—yes, it takes
longer, but it's so much more enjoyable to me than traipsing around
in a cold December rain trying to find something that excites me. Being aware
of one's own nature, and making allowances for it, contributes to a
“panic-free” life.
“We
seldom notice how each day is a holy place
where the
Eucharist of the ordinary happens,
transforming
our broken fragments
into an
eternal continuity that keeps us.”
John
O'Donohue (Blessing the Space Between Us)
I fundamentally believe
that the very best gift of all is the gathering of a happy family,
who simply enjoy being “wrapped up in each other.” (Burton
Hillis) It's inexpensive, and extremely precious.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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