Twelve days until Thanksgiving and then my love/hate relationship with Christmas moves into focus. I don’t find the Christmas season to be a very peaceful time. There are so many extra things that have to be done.

“Do you have your shopping done yet?”

“The mall was so busy I had to park in the overflow lot.”

“When are you going to put up your outdoor lights?”

“Are you going out of town for Christmas?”

“Have you decorated your tree?”

“I got the greatest stocking stuffers at the early-bird sale.”

These are all a normal part of holiday conversation, but they all relate to doing instead of being. I enjoy some of the doing, but sometimes it’s too much and not for the right reasons.

I’m not a total Scrooge. I love the celebration, the significance, the gatherings, the candle light Christmas eve service, the connections (in person and by mail), and the food.