Holiday Prep

Mostly we are not decorated, well as far as the big pieces… but our outside lights are on, our snowglobe is whirring, and we have a few special pieces, snowflakes and stars, reflecting and refracting light, casting rainbows everywhere. But the tree is waiting, the many decorations and memories that deck our halls have been put on temporary hold. This weekend we hope to explode in holiday cheer. If we feel better, if the spirit of the holiday jumps up and down pumping music and light into the house.

But sick or not, sad, or busy, the holidays come marching in. We have to get ready. We have to plan gifts, feasts, gatherings, and fun. So to set the mood, we bought a dragon calendar for December, a count down with little figures. We opened the first box and it was empty, the second was the same. The third, tonight, was also vacant. We looked at it, peered inside and saw the glint of color in other boxes. So some are empty, others not. May some have more than one small figure? Did the small dragons get bored sitting in their own little boxes and make friends? Did they have a party and lose track of where they belonged?

So yes, an empty box is a gift a writer can appreciate, wondering what used to occupy such a space and what happened? Before you know it, a story is born. So if you have imaginative friends and you experience agonies over what to get them, consider a decorated box with a ransom note, or half a story left for them to finish, a random collection of art supplies, or a theme of goodies. A gift, after all, is for each person, not conventional, not ordinary, but a chance to recognize the inner world as well as the outer one.

As for most people, the holiday prep has begun and it will continue to blossom over this month. I hope it blooms brightly in your house with a blast of color, a song of joy, and plenty of twinkling lights. Read to a happy place! 😁🐲