Anticipation

I put the Christmas tree up this weekend. Which is way ahead of schedule. I mean, it's still November and I feel like it was just Halloween. My festive mood could have been sparked by the neighbor down the street that strung lights on every piece of foliage imaginable and then used his flood light to display baby Jesus. Or it could have been having extra time, since I had a four day weekend. But what's more impressive is I did it with the absence of snow. Don't get me wrong, one of the best things about moving to the East Coast was saying goodbye to the harsh, nine-month Minnesotan winters. But one thing was pretty much guaranteed: it was going to feel like a winter wonderland when you got ready to decorate the house. For some reason, dead grass and a pile of leaves in my yard didn't spark the fuzzy feelings I remember associating with the Christmas season. I think what I'm trying to say is, I kind. of. miss. snow. But just until Christmas is over.

So, for whatever reason I decorated early, I do know this: I want to be more engaged with the true meaning of Christmas this season. This Sunday was the beginning of Advent. The word Advent means "coming" in Latin and is an old church tradition that is a time of preparation and anticipation for the birth of Christ. I want to anticipate much more than what presents I'll receive or the big amazing meal I'll share with my family. My earliest memory of Advent was opening the Advent calendar, and if I was lucky, getting a chocolate to go with it. That definitely created anticipation, but not the right kind. So I kind of like the fact that my Christmas tree is set up early because it serves as a reminder of where I should place my focus this season.