The past few days, I have been trying different recipes for the holiday season.  I really do love this time of the year! All the smells and beauty of the season….all the activities and time together with the family…I just love it all!  I think that it means so much to me because my family of origin always made it such a magical time.  The excitement of Christmas morning always included the opening of gifts and time with family and in our family, this was an all-day affair….no one was left out of that special time.

I have started to ponder the importance of this day and wonder why it can’t be carried over into every day….I mean, really, what’s to stop us from making each day that magical? And I’m not talking about giving gifts every day of the year…I’m talking about the time that we set aside to really BE with one another.  We laugh, listen, sing and play together and think nothing of it—it is expected on Christmas day.  Why can’t we carry this over to every other day of the year?

Are we busy? Absolutely….but I am tired of giving and getting the answer, “I should have called you, life has been so busy”. We can connect, we just choose something else…and usually it is something that we feel can’t be avoided.

So, as I enter this season, I feel compelled to enjoy each moment with each person I come in contact with and hope to spread joy to the people I see…. and maybe carry that sense of love and joy past the holiday season and into the new year!

“Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life. “  Leo Buscaglia

*photo courtesy of maple at  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net