I am writing this post one day after my last exhausting college final. Inside my home, except for a half finished tree and a small advent calendar, you would not know that it was Christmas. There is no wreath on my front door. There is not a single garland draped anywhere.
I am a gal who, in the past, has decorated even her bathrooms. Given that I write a blog that is primarily about making a home pretty, you can assume that yes, this is unusual for me.
This morning as I sat in the long awaited quiet and examined my heart, I decided that I was not going to do a mad scramble to decorate our home now that I have a moments peace. I will not be rushing around trying to put up our second (and third) tree or drape every surface in glittering lights. Because what I have found, in the contemplative stillness, is that even without all of the decorations, I still have Christmas in my heart.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you didn’t:
Decorate every square inch of your house,
buy and wrap a hundred presents,
bake a million cookies
and generally get sucked into the commercialism of what now passes for Christmas?
I cannot tell you how happy I am that I now know the answer. While it has been a very hard year for our family, I am still merry and bright!!! Indeed my entire family is joyful.
Now don’t get me wrong. I still love scenes such as this where every surface is covered in “Christmas”. Come next year I will probably be back in full force and then some.
But I am happy to know that even without all of the tinsel, lights and garland, Christmas can be found within me. It is still beautiful and even more importantly, peaceful as a dove.
“If there is love in your heart and your mind, you will feel like Christmas all the time.”
Laura
