Quiet and Christmas…
For many of us, those two words simply don’t go together. There is nothing quiet about the season. The preparation. The gift buying. Cooking, cleaning, second-guessing, decorating. In the midst of it all, we forget that the hope of the season is Peace on Earth. And what would that even look like in the breakneck pace of our lives? In (arguably I guess) the greatest Christmas movie ever created), Cousin Eddie coasted in on fumes. Gas money give out in Guerney.
And I think that is true for many of us…
We are coasting in on fumes to Christmas. It isn’t a time of peace on earth. At least not in our own little worlds. It is a rat race. Blake and Emily have six Christmas celebrations. Six. That’s a lot. What do they likely want for Christmas? A nap! I knew I wanted it to be different this year, but how would I even do that?
A friend had an idea…
I have been having lunch with an inner circle friend weekly for over 15 years. Our relationship speaks of the importance of having 2 AM or inner-circle level friends. We get to lean on each other and bear each other’s burdens. So when I asked what he was looking forward to at Christmas, his answer was brilliant.
Here’s what he was looking forward to…
The quiet of the early morning with no immediate rush to go anywhere or do anything. No other lights other than the Christmas tree to light the darkness. And peace on earth. It may be five minutes. it may be ten minutes or more. But just that simple act of quiet and pause to center and slow down. So I stole his idea. It’s ok. We have been stealing each other’s ideas for years. That’s the great thing about our friendship.
And this happened…
As I write this on Christmas Eve, this is the fifth day I have done this. I have gotten up, poured a cup of coffee, turned the Christmas tree on, and rested. Each day has been a little different, but I have spent 10- 30 minutes each day in front of the tree. And I have felt Peace on Earth. I have pondered the simple pleasure of the ornaments that our family has collected representing vacations, moments, and even the ones Blake and Jace made while growing up. And I smile. I can’t help it.
All of this because of the pause…
I know life is crazy and there is so much to do. But I think we forget that, not that long ago in history, we let ourselves pause. We weren’t always stimulated by screens and distracted to the hilt. Our brains crave white space to rest and recover. And we (definitely me) are terrible at giving ourselves quiet.
Here is my challenge for you…
Find five minutes. We all have five minutes. Maybe not today. But how about some time in the next week? Set a timer on your phone. Find a quiet place. For some it may be quiet-ish. You may even need to step into the garage and sit in your car. Give yourself five minutes to just pause and breathe. And seek the feeling of Peace on Earth. Life isn’t going to force us to do this. Life will keep getting faster. That is why quiet is so important.
And maybe, just maybe…
You might find yourself not coasting in on fumes. If you are struggling with incorporating quiet into your life, hit me up. I have struggled with it most of my life. I still struggle with it. But there is hope. A few simple inputs can make a huge difference! Let’s thrive in the remainder of 2023 and set ourselves up for success in the new year!
The lighted tour with you two was well needed and lovely! I used to do the very same thing when everyone was sleeping and just sit and enjoy the Christmas tree lights! It was just so calming for me and I could dream and just be thankful for this life God let me have!