Soaking in Christmas

I used to lie on the couch, staring at the red lights of my parent’s Christmas tree. I’d breath in the Scotch pine’s scent while taking in the moment. I dreamed of what was in the packages beneath it. Oh, I knew where they all were — I had each present inventoried by shape and size. And I knew how many were for me. I had time to dream about Christmas.

If only I could be a kid again.

Things are too fast now. There is no break from work, kids and all the chaos that falls in between. Time does go faster as you get older. Thanksgiving turns into Christmas in hours, not days. I yearn for the days of wishing the four LOOONNG days between my birthday and Christmas morning would get over with. Now it’s over in a blink. And we’re taking down the tree in another blink.

I think I may lie on the couch tonight and stare at the fake tree. I’ll spray some pine air freshener in the air and pretend there are presents under the tree. I’ll act like a kid again — if for no other reason to slow the clock down just for a moment.

Time to soak it all in. That’s a present I’d love to receive this year.