December 23

December twenty-first was the Winter Solstice, although that date varies slightly from year to year. It is, of course, the day with the least daylight and, therefore, the point at which each day offers more light. How much more light each day has is totally dependant upon your latitude (Location, location, location).

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, even though we don’t refer to many evenings in terms of the next day; all hallows’ eve (Halloween) being the noted exception. However, it is both its own day and part of the following day. You can’t have Christmas Eve without Christmas.

But today is just the twenty-third. It’s a day for running around like crazy picking up last minute gifts, spices, or whatever was forgotten. The house probably has glitter in odd places, having fallen off wrapping paper or cards. Actually the house is a minor disaster—the gifts having been wrapped, but the leftover paper, scissors, bows, and ribbons stilllying about.

The twenty-third, though, is like that moment before a meal when the delicious smells hit your nose, but it’s not yet time to eat. Meals take hours to prepare and minutes to dispatch; Christmas takes months of preparation, and seems to only last several nanoseconds.

So, enjoy the 23^rd in its special ordinariness. Enjoy the fact that the preparations are an act of love toward friends and family. That most of those are complete—and while you’re at it, smile.