Sweet Memories.

Image via WikipediaMemories have a way of sneaking up on you. They can be sly and weave themselves into the words of a song or the lines of a poem. They can be out in the open as you drive past a place that once was important. They can be small in the form of a buttercup or as big as the first airplane you flew in. Memories are what gives us a connection to the past and allows us to have hope for the future.

I came across some memories this weekend. Setting up the Christmas tree always does that. There was the ornament we got on our honeymoon with the chew marks from our first dog. There was the Disney World ornament from 1999 that we bought before we flew home to Phoenix only to find out that Dan's dad was in the hospital and he had to fly out to PA the next day. Ornaments from each of the children's first Christmases brought back memories of those early, sleepless days and nights....and weeks and months.

And I shared memories with friends about their holidays past. Good memories, sad memories, memories that have the power to heal. And as I shared and listened and read, I couldn't help but think that this is the Christmas spirit that I want to cling to this year. I want to remember those moments, make new ones and embrace the peace of the season.

As we all know, that's not always easy to do. Peace gets replaced by hectic schedules and rushing here and there. But it doesn't have to. Remind me to slow down, to breathe, to sit and just be still. Because that peace, that joy, that hope is all I want for Christmas.