It Could Be Christmas Every Day …

if only we remember the presence …

Seriously, what is it about this time of year that has everyone expectant, pregnant with desire, counting down the days for when the magic can burst open in a rush of excitement on the 25th?

Last year, the children woke us up whilst it was still dark, bouncing on the bed all breathy and giggly. We paid no mind to the hour (nor their bounce). Their joy was infectious.

Small surprises spilled out of upended stockings, crumpled wrapping paper spread over the floor. Chocolate coins a feast for breakfast in bed, dreaming of what lay within the already-inspected-under-the-tree-goodies of squishy plump parcels and flat packs.

Good feelings and grins.

A deep satisfaction and a knowing that all was right with the world, when I got to wondering… Just what is it about this day that makes it so special…? It struck me that

the Christmas spirit has nothing to with presents and everything to do with presence

For us, on that day, there is a willingness to be thought less, to allow our true nature to shine through:

• We ditch the expectations, shed those suffocating shoulds, scrap the schedule
•  We say “Yes” more easily, have a more anything goes kind of vibe (Chocolate for breakfast? Certainly… Chocolate for lunch? You betcha!)
• We are more forgiving of each other’s foibles – we care less, making merry of minor transgressions

There is nothing we wouldn’t do for each other; we are in this together.

We see kindness and helpfulness where often we see competition and hindrance. And there is a distinct aroma of generosity, gratitude and goodwill to all wafting through the air.

I realised that the Christmas spirit isn’t to be found out there. We won’t find it in the toe of a stocking, or the bottom of a brandy bottle. We won’t find it in a mince pie or around a twinkly lit tree. The Christmas spirit isn’t a Fairytale in New York, or anywhere else; it is a true tale of what lies within each and every one of us.

This presence of Mind is the greatest gift that we have never been given

It is the magic that we are made of. It is a feeling we can fall into any time, any place, anywhere, because it never leaves us – we just take a holiday away from it from time to time when we get thought full.

We are made of that which brings forth the festive feeling year after year and we deny ourselves this gift when we keep it under wraps, boxing it up for an annual special occasion. It is an ordinary occurrence that gives rise to an extraordinary life. The Christmas spirit is really a natural consequence of a thought less mind. It is what we are.

So , you see, it really could be Christmas every day.