A friend and I met for tea this morning and she reminded me that today was the last day of January!
2012 Carrie ©
The comment caught me off guard for a moment. 1/12th of the year is already behind us!
“Where have the last 31 days gone?” I asked myself. Before I could answer, my friend said, “the next thing you know, it’ll be Christmas.”
I gasped, and then quickly recovered, realizing we really do have almost 11 more months to prepare.
Every year many of us declare that December suddenly just “appeared” on our doorstep. How stupid is that? It comes around every year, exactly once every 12 months, or every 365 days; accept for this year which will be 366 days. There are no surprises here.
So this year, I am making a decision. No more surprises.
This year I am putting in my calender that I will start to organize myself today, so that I’m ready for December.
What will that look like?
Does that mean I will do more busy stuff to prepare for Christmas?
Here’s what that might look like, and NO, I do not intend to do more. It merely means that I intend to get the most out of the season, and I will not be caught off guard for the umpteenth time.
More questions come to mind…
Does that mean that I won’t still get the most out of the other months and seasons of the year, because I’m preoccupied with that one month of the year?
Enjoying the beauty of the moment - Jan 2012 Carrie ©
On the contrary, this will be a reminder to enjoy the moment and season that comes with it.
Does that mean I will spend more money on Christmas?
Most certainly not. I intend to have the time to thoughtfully decide what it is I want to spend on Christmas, and, what I don’t want to spend on Christmas.
Another way to make the most of this wonderful month of the year is by intentionally thinking about who I want to spend it with.
Umm, not sure where aunt Susan fits in… but we’ve got almost 11 months to figure that out.
What about the preoccupation with gifts?
Throughout the year, many fabulous craft fairs and trade shows pop up just about everywhere in the county. If I’m thinking creatively and ahead, gift giving can actually be fun to do. I still believe that it’s the thought that counts, not the “how much did it cost?”.
So, that’s my decision.
2012 Carrie ©
January, you’ve done well. As you can see, I’ve had plenty of time to enjoy this season.
February, I have a very good reason to look forward to your extra day.
Yes, I’m ready for the rest of the 11 months.
December, 2012 is starting to look pretty inviting.
Nuggets of Gold 