From My House to Yours

Some years ago, my mother-in-law inaugurated a holiday tradition: the Christmas Matrix. Now, before you start thinking about the movie, let me tell you up-front that it's a kind of fill-in-the-blank Christmas letter. The last category is "Wish to You," and all of us add ours to that year's list. Sometimes, my wish for others is "Happiness." Occasionally, it's "Joy." But most often, it's the thing I wish for myself, "Time." Time to spend with those you love. Time to work on relationships that are broken. Time for all the things you should do. Time for the things you want to do. And the little luxury of small amounts of time to do "nothing" -- breathe, dream, rest. For without that kind of time, all the other things are difficult to achieve.

So, on this joyous day, I hope you have lovely gifts -- for a well-chosen, well-wrapped gift is a very happy thing. I hope you can earnestly celebrate the anniversary of baby Jesus' arrival on earth -- for hope is just what means, then and all down the ages, 'til today, December 25, 2009.

And I wish you Time.

Merry Christmas, my friends, and lots of love! xo