Does anyone else wish it were Christmas right about now?
Yea me too.
Though these wrapped boxes are not actually from some attempt to create Christmas in July. Instead, they were another new project of my twins yesterday.
They, without my permission, emptied two boxes of applesauce packets into the snack drawer. Then they ran to show me the boxes they “found” that they were now eager to make into homes for their babies (that’s what they call their stuffed animals). “This box is for spot (a stuffed turtle with spots),” one said as he held it up for me to see. “And this one is for my baby blue dinosaur and the softest tiniest turtle we have,” said the other.
They tried a few methods for decorating the boxes like markers and construction paper, but nothing worked on the slick surfaces. Finally, noting their frustration, I got out the Christmas wrapping paper and helped them cover their new baby animal homes. It was odd, but in those few minutes of wrapping up boxes, I felt the distinct joy of the Christmas season. And the hope that maybe in a short five months, we all will be decorating towards a brighter future.
They carried their babies around in their boxes throughout the day even as they did other things, and the bright paper of Christmas floated in and out my vision over and over. It, of course, was brightened even more with the flannel Christmas pjs they still insist on wearing even as the temperatures outside climb past 100.
It was a bright spot of hope in my day.
So this morning, my prayer is that we all have moments of Christmas joy and new year hope enter into our hearts and minds today. Let it guide us to do what we can to work for change in our family and our immediate communities. Let it also guide us to make good choices today that will lead us to a brighter future by the time the air chills and the bells of Christmas begin to ring.
Maybe consider breaking out the Christmas wrapping paper too… visuals definitely help!
