take time....

so here we are, the day after Thanksgiving and all fired up about the impending "other" holiday. the stores opened at some ungodly hours today (I even saw one ad for a 4:00 AM opening!). who does this? are there really people who go shopping at FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING???? it seems completely insane to me, but then, I'm not one to shop anyway, so go figure. whatever the case...

got me to thinking about the whole "season"....and of course, the REASON for the season. i suppose the large part of america celebrates the christian holiday known as christmas; the day jesus was supposedly born. (historians know differently, but that's a whole 'nother story). others celebrate the winter solstice. and still others, the jewish hannukah. whatever you celebrate, the one commonality is that gifts are given, and families gather to feast. for me, it's about the beautiful resting of our mother earth...the slumber that allows new growth, new movement, new beginnings. i love this time of year for the calm that seems always to wash over me and allow me to do the same things. i love the early darkness and the cold mornings and the silence that seems so much more silent than at other times of year. mostly, i love the idea that i needn't fret about what's coming but rather what is. winter does this to me. always has. just another of the many things i'm so grateful for.

as time passes and i learn more about "I AM", i realize just how perfect the seasons are. it is said that "timing is everything"...and this seems now to be so utterly true. the timing of the seasons is no accident. nor is the timing of every single thing that occurs in our lives. even our deaths are perfectly timed, although many would argue this. but i shan't go on about that. all i really wanted to express is this: take time to enjoy the season, in whatever ways you follow. take time to enjoy every delicious moment and embrace the changes that happen right before your eyes. life is a wondrous and beautiful adventure. take time to APPRECIATE this!