Tis the Season

Today is December 1st. A new month. A new season. Full of hope, holiday cheer, and gingerbread lattes. Garland and mistletoe. Decorating Christmas trees and sugar cookies. Giving gifts and spending quality time withe loved ones.

For some the Christmas season starts the day after Thanksgiving. And for other psychotic, Thanksgiving-haters, the day after Halloween (I'll spare you how I really feel about those people).

But for me, it has always been December 1st. A new month. A new season. The 25 days of Christmas, as ABC Family sings so well. There's just something different about December that even post-Thanksgiving November can't bring.

Maybe due to the disgusting corporate shopping craze that totally rains on the Thanksgiving Day parade. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday. Hey, at least they created Giving Tuesday to paint a slightly better picture. But the end of November is just so focused on buying things and spending money that post-Thanksgiving November just isn't the same. It's a spirit of consumerism. Not holiday cheer.

But December comes, and something changes in the air. Regardless of the weather. Don't get me wrong, New England snowfalls are nothing less than magical. Especially this time of year, before they pile up and mix together with dirt and dog pee. December is their prime. Perfectly white, angelic blankets of snow covering the grass. Mesmerizing flakes dancing gracefully as they fall from the sky. It's a little taste of heaven everyone deserves to experience. But even here in Nashville as I soak up the warmth of the sun on my balcony in a t-shirt, I still feel December's magic.

Sure there is added stress in December. Finishing up enough work in order to take those vacation days without getting too buried. Getting the house ready for company. Finding time and money to buy all those gifts. Wrapping them just right. And shipping them off to the various locations. Being around all that family. Trying to meet everyone's standards of the perfect holiday. Grocery shopping for the big meal. Cooking the big meal. Remembering every little detail. Decorating the house. And doing all of this while trying to tie up loose ends at work, leaving you basically putting it off until the last minute.

Yes, that part is a bit stressful. But in my eyes it is so minimal in comparison to the Christmas spirit that comes and dwells here on earth during the month of December.

People are different this time of year. They are more generous. With their time and money. More thoughtful in how they treat others. More loving to their friends and family. Just happier in general. You witness more random acts of kindness. You hear more "thank you's". People's eyes have a sparkle.

Maybe its being reminded of the birth of a baby who changed absolutely everything. But for most of us, I doubt it actually has much to do with the story of Christmas itself. Sad, but true.

I think it's actually people who remind us what the holidays are about. People who we witness giving cash to a homeless man on the street. People who remember our favorite Starbucks holiday drink and surprise us with it on a rough day at the office. People who go out of their way to attend a holiday party, performance, or event that means the world to us.

And people who don't have homes to decorate. Food for Christmas dinner. Money for gifts under the tree. Coats to keep warm during that first snow. People who dream of a Christmas that we would complain was less than mediocre.

I also think its moments. Placing your favorite childhood ornament on the tree. Hugging someone dear who you haven't seen since last Christmas. Building a gingerbread house with your little ones. Watching their eyes get big with amazement as you turn on the Christmas lights for the first time. Singing Christmas songs while baking cookies with friends. Making your first snow angel of the season. Sharing a blanket with your loved one in front of a fire on that first cold winter night.

These moments capture our hearts as they cause the world, work, and all our worries to stand still. They remind us why we're here on this earth. And they teach us to actually live while we're here. To appreciate each day and be present in the moment. They bring perspective and vibrant life along with the purest joy.

This December, I want to actively pursue the Christmas spirit. Instead of wishing I had more time for all traditional holiday activities, I want to make time for living out moments with people I love. I want to soak December in so deeply that come March people think of Christmas when they see me. I want to look and sound like Christmas. I want to be proof of hope, redemption, and new life. I want to give generously, live graciously, and walk humbly. I want to be so present that I remember every detail of these precious holiday moments. I want to inspire others to live out the Christmas spirit. To be that person who reminds them what this season is all about. I want my eyes to sparkle and my smile to be radiant. I want my heart to be a welcoming home for the Christmas spirit to dwell. So welcoming that it permeates the walls of my own heart and overflows into the hearts of others.

Today I am welcoming December. Making room in my heart for the Christmas spirit. And room in my life for the people and moments who deliver it.