I WILL . . .

I WILL . . . make every effort to get enough rest, sing enough carols,

and offer enough good wishes, so my Christmas season

will be something to enjoy, not simply endure.

During the past Christmas season, I realized a lot of things. Maybe I'd actually known them for a long time, but hadn't embraced them as truths in my life. For one thing, I finally admitted I didn't have very much fun at Christmas. It's a wonderful time of the year, but I'd been shortchanging myself during the holidays. Many things I'd wanted to do, see, or experience had been brushed aside until I thought I "had time" for them. Actually, I'd never MADE time for most of them. This year I promise to choose a few places to visit and work some fun things into my schedule.

This is the year I will stop buring the midnight oil in order to catch up with tasks that could wait until another time. Staying up all hours only serves to make me tired and irritable the next day. I never actually accomplish much when I stay up so late. I think I do it because I like the calm, peaceful feeling of having every critter in my household safe, secure, and asleep. I began staying up late when I participated in many craft shows throughout the years. I found the peacefulness condusive to hand-finishing my projects. That was then - I'm not as young as I used to be and I no longer have many craft shows for which to prepare - yet I continue to be a night owl. I desperately want to break that habit.

When Christmas comes again, I will either join a caroling group or start one myself. Music is one of my passions but I've been depriving myself of the Christmas carols I love to sing. Strolling through a neighborhood, singing at people's doors, and wishing them Merry Christmas was always fun. I want to do that again. It might be considered old fashioned, but that's part of Christmas for me. Caroling evokes memories of the days my church youth group visited homebound members and sang to them. The people to whom we sang usually had tears in their eyes and sang along with us. Some offered treats of hot cocoa and cookies. When we had finished caroling, we met at the church for a Christmas party. I know I can't go back and re-live those days, but I can surely continue the tradition and attempt to make Christmas merrier for those around me - and for myself.