December 25 came earlier this year. I know that is not technically possible, but that is how it felt. Perhaps it was that last year so much had to be cancelled and put off. The season was less busy last year because it had to be. This year everything seemed to come back at super sonic speed. Thanksgiving was gone and Advent was upon us before we could even catch our breath. I never caught up to the season. Normally by the end of the last week of November I have many of my Christmas presents in hand. This year all my Christmas giving feels like a belated birthday card. “Sorry I missed your birthday this year, Jesus!” There was just so much going on that I couldn’t keep up. Perhaps, in spite of the tragedy of over 800,000 deaths due to COVID there were some small blessings. Circumstances and health mandates forced us to slow down and limit our activities. We experienced more quiet and more time for reflection. We were more appreciative of all we have with family and friends. Our ultimate dependency on others and especially on God was made plain to us. The driver who delivers our food, the person who serves our meals, the entertainers who distract us from our pains, the medical personnel who risk their lives for our health and safety seem much more important than we realized before. I, for one, often appreciated some of the slower pace in our life. I do not find the busyness as attractive as I thought I would when it returned. So I may leave the Christmas decorations up a bit longer now that we are past the busy season. The new year is just days away now. I think I’ll try to work on making it slower, simpler and more peaceful. Maybe we could try to do that together.