Faithful Friends Who Are Dear To Us...

Don’t you love it when people ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?”  

I think that’s such an odd question because I’ve never really been ready for it.

Even if all the shopping and wrapping and mailing of cards were all done, I’m sure my answer wouldn’t change. In fact, I think this holiday goes better when we don’t take the planning and preparations too seriously.  We should take comfort in the knowledge that even Joseph and Mary weren’t exactly ready for Christmas when it first happened. 

Besides, all the stuff we do to get ready for the holiday is really about being with people we love.

In the last few days, bikes and coffee and blogging have had to give way to other things like seeing cousins and in-laws and lifetime friends. Tonight as the dishes were put away from a gathering we hosted, it was a good opportunity to listen to our kids reflect on the meaning of their relationships with family and friends.

Despite the distances between us all, our kids consider their cousins to be some of the most important people in their lives.  Same thing with the camping gang and old church friends we’ve been seeing the last few days.  They have wanted time with them while they’re home for the holidays.

When we moved here to Salem, we knew that we’d be facing some significant changes--new job, new home, different church, different schools, to name just a few. We figured the way we’d get through all the changes would be to keep connections with people we've known. Even if it meant additional effort to stay in touch with people in our old community, it would be worth the time and energy to get together and maintain these relationships. The last few days have certainly affirmed that decision.

Our main priority during the holiday season has been getting together with friends and family. It’s kept us from getting overly goofy about the details. 

So I guess in that regard, yes, we're ready for Christmas.