white christmas

Looking at the temperatures for the week ahead, I think I can safely say we will have a white christmas here in New England.
Monday 30 degrees, Tuesday 26 degrees, Wednesday 31 degrees, Thursday 36 degrees.

This is good. It's not that I want to strap on skis and head for the hills or get on a toboggan and take a snow blinding ride down DeNormandie Hill, or put on skates and hope that the ice is indeed solidly frozen in the middle of Valley Pond. With the mercury at 12 degrees this morning, I barely want to open the door to let the dog out.

I like snow on Christmas because the known world is altered. The cars in our driveway are lumps of white. It will take some effort to get them cleared off to go anywhere. I walk slowly down the front path so as not to slip, I drive cautiously on the roads, not salted in Lincoln for environmental reasons, and check my brakes. In this fast paced world what else slows us down and makes us mindful of every step?

As for Christmas, that is the point. It is a time to stop and look around and notice family, friends, and the beauty of snow on the familiar maple at the end of the driveway. Snow is a wake up call. It is a reminder to stop and breath deeply. So is Christmas. So as we head to the finish line of December 25 this week, I hope you will all take time to enjoy the moment, the people around you, the ones you know and the ones you do not know. Rather than thinking of this holiday as a hassle of shopping, cooking and too many people, realize that Christmas is a gift we do not choose. The calendar brings it to us every year, like it or not. Open it with care. We will be zooming into 2010 all too soon. If you blink, you might miss the beauty and power of the present moment.