For all the counting down, the rushing to a day, my favorite part of Christmas is in fact timelessness.
By which I don’t mean the quasi-timeless – America’s historical reverence for snow-tipped pine cones, glittered Santas, sugar. I mean, literally, the way time can stop on the day. I am not sure why I feel so.
I do know that as I sit on my sofa right now, looking directly at our tree (which is kind of feeble as I experimented with gold and silver and I’m missing gaudy red glass balls), two presents (they arrived wrapped in Amazon navy and gray aspiring to be silver), and the ornament storage boxes that I need to put back into the garage, I feel my whole life take a breath.
I could speculate as to why. Maybe traditions, layers of repeated experience that they are, maybe each layer weights the one after. Tugs us from tomorrow.
Or maybe it’s the quiet to come, as for a moment my neighborhood sits down, full and happy.
But better to let you bright people muse, if you’re so inclined.
Merry Christmas to all. Much love and thanks for all you give me.
24 Responses
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Thank you for so many lovely Saturday evenings (or Sunday mornings)-here is 8 pm :-)
xoxo
Dottoressa
@dottoressa, Merry Christmas Eve Eve:). Thanks for reading.
Thank you for so many thoughtful posts. Have a merry Christmas! Blessings to you and your family.
@Jane, You’re more than welcome. And blessing to you and your family in return.
Hello Lisa, I have noticed that feeling on other special days. Perhaps all holidays allow us to pause and give thanks and appreciation, making us aware of continuity and inclusion.
A wonderful holiday season to you and yours!
–Jim
@Parnassus, You might be right Jim. Maybe it’s doing so much that we feel right in pausing. And a wonderful holiday season to you, and to yours.
Well said, as always. Best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful holiday.
@Donna, Thank you. And best wishes to you and yours in return.
Get those gaudy red glass balls out of storage immediately!
I kid, i kid! You know I adore you! Have a wonderful Christmas!
@Bunny Foo Foo, Hahahahaha! See, at least now I know that it’s not Christmas to me unless the tree is blaring:). In white lights of course, as High WASPs generally can’t do colored lights unless you’ve owned those large bulbs for decades. xox. You have a wonderful Christmas too.
I feel the same. But I don’t think it’s to do with tradition. Or layers of experience, since I remember feeling this way as a kid.The quiet, as you say, maybe. Always on Christmas Eve. When the tree was decorated, and Mum had the house shining, and it was almost Christmas. Weighted expectancy, maybe. The only thing that comes close for me now is late afternoon in winter, dusk, snow sifting down as it is today. The tree is decorated. My house is reasonably presentable… I don’t do shining like my Mum did. And Stu and I haven’t broken into the tin of shortbread, yet. As I said… weighted expectancy:)
Hope you and your have a wonderful Christmas, Lisa.
@Sue Burpee, Leave the shortbread alone! Merry merry, Sue!
@Sue Burpee, “Weighted expectancy.” I like that very much. And the peace of having cleaned as much as you are going to. I don’t do shining either, except in patches here and there.
Happy Christmas to you!!!
What a beautiful post…for me it’s the feeling of calm and hope for the future….even if the feeling is fleeting. Yes to a traditional tree with lots of memories attached….
Ali
This is the best thing I’ve read this Christmas. Trimming the tree, and taking it down as well, is always emotional for me. I think it has to do with memories. And with love, of course! For this moment, nothing more is needed. Thank you.
I agree with Ali a beautifully written post. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and all.
Luci
On no other day does the world and time stand still in the ways you describe. I treasure the resulting sense of peace more fully with each passing year. Merry Christmas to you and all who read here!
Merry Christmas Lisa! I like that you take such a small piece of the holiday and bring it home to the core.
Enjoy the quiet! I have come to realize I don’t really love the buildup until it’s about the 20th. Then I’m all in…happy new year too since that’s just around the corner!
As always, your thoughts and words are beautiful. For me, that “weighted expectancy” (thanks to your reader for that lovely phrase) has everything to do with me having done all I can do, waiting for Him to do all He can do. Merry Christmas!
Beautiful post, Lisa!
Merry Christmas and A Very Happy New Year to you and yours.
SSG xxx
So, so true. Each of us first experienced Christmas from the perspective of pure Id, ie want/get. Then later in life emerges the SuperEgo, ie should/must. I think I’m finally entering the Ego stage with very few expectations, requirements, or pressure. Your timelessness observation must be why I keep asking aloud “Hmmm, now what day is this today?” Thank you for the treasures you leave under our year ’round tree! Happy New Year, Lisa!
Merry Christmas Lisa & Family
I agree, at Christmas, time stands still. We watch no TV, and no news. The traffic around us slows to the odd car. We listen to carols and Big Band Christmas music. We prepare a big dinner for the two of us…and in a few days we go to visit family.
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