Cover me - I'm going in...
Today is the day for me to head into town to tackle the last of the Christmas gifts, the ones that must be explored in person before buying. Even though I have a detailed list and a very organized plan of attack, I'm not going to like it at all. In fact, I'm thinking of donning sunglasses and noise-canceling headphones for this venture into the December retail universe.
The Mall and the Big Box stores out there in the concrete jungle, and now appearing in flashing banners across laptop screens, work very hard to get us to join the wide-eyed throng mesmerized into believing that ALL of us,
will have enough time and money, and that
we will all have fun,
we will all be warm,
we will all be safe and
we will all be truly loved,
IF
we just buy!
Well I've reached that age/stage of life when downsizing -- getting rid of the surplus stuff we already have -- is far more important than acquiring any new stuff, so all this hype of the latest and greatest eye-popping, mind-blowing electronic widget, app or platform is tiring at best and at worse downright aggravating. There is nothing peaceful to be found here.
My father's traditional Christmas morning words float back to me...
After about ten minutes of frenzied activity around the tree -- you know the chaos three children can uncrate in ten minutes, -- Dad would bluster into the midst of that scramble waving a big green garbage bag and bellowing:
"All right girls! Keep down the junk!"
Underneath all the frenzied activity, all the noise, all the glitz and glitter, lies a profound craving for simplicity, and a yearning for deep peace, not just in my heart and home, but in all hearts and homes.
Take 5 minutes this day to
stop – step out of commercial whirlwind;
look – seek out your light shining in the darkness;
and listen – what is it that waits to be born in you?
Oh and, keep down the junk, eh?!
©2025 April Hoeller
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