Although It's Been Said Many Times, Many Ways...

Merry Christmas to you, friends and loved ones... or Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwaanza, or Feliz Navidad, or Buon Natale, or Joyeux Noel, or Happy Winter Solstice, or Happy Saturnalia, or Frohe Weihnachten, or however you say, whatever you are celebrating at this time of year. My wish is simple - that this holiday season, amid the hustle and bustle and stress and strain, you take a moment to look around and realize what it's all about, whatever that might mean to you. To me, it's the chance to look at my lovely Little Women and see how they have grown over the year. To watch the Clone as she walks the line between little girl and young lady, and to delight in the times she steps to one side of the line or the other. To watch Red, usually a ball of pure energy, occasionally stop for a second and be still and contemplative. To see the kind of child Little Bit is turning into, now that she is old enough that her own uniqueness is starting to shine through.

May your days be merry and bright. For those of you (those of us I should say) for whom the holidays can sometimes be difficult, sad, lonely, may you find the moments that shine for you and use them to carry you through the harder ones. For those of you stressing because you can't afford to make the holidays what you want them to be - believe me, the people you love understand that, and they love you just the same. For those who would rather not think about the holidays and wish the world would just go back to normal and the carols would stop for crying out loud - it's almost over; why don't you load up with snacks, a few good books or movies, run a nice hot bath, and close your door to the world for a couple of days. Heck, we all need a vacation anyway!

My love to you and yours, this season and always,
SaraSmile