December 2023

December Thought of the Month

"How did it get so late so soon. It's night before it's afternoon. December before it's June. My goodness, how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"

~ Dr. Seuss

Well, we've reached the end of another year. Why does that always seem to take us by surprise? Sometimes I think there's a part of our brains that simply has no awareness of the passage of time. Perhaps it's a leftover from the period in history when mankind didn't mechanically measure time. Or maybe our busy lives make it easy to dismiss or ignore the fact that time is moving on. Whether it flies or crawls for us, the only influence we have on time is how we spend it.

Especially during the holidays, we look forward to spending time with our loved ones — even though these are often the most frantic days of the year. This is particularly true of the Christmas season. There's decorating and gift buying and traveling and cooking and the retail bombardment that seems to start earlier every year. All this "pre-pressure" likely makes the sense of being ambushed by the passing time seem even more intense.

Time is something we all have and the only asset we can never get back once spent. So don't lament misspent time during this last month of year. Focus on not stressing over what you can't control. Do what needs doing but set aside an hour or so every day to enjoy what's around you. Decorated yards, soothing music, the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen, snow falling gently in the night, good company, whatever brings you joy. And not just during this season but all through the year.

May your holidays be filled with love, happiness, and blessings!

[Thought and image design by Elaine C. Oldham]