Over? I was just getting into Christmas!

I am slow to transition.  I would prefer a gradual transition into Christmas, with perhaps a song an hour on the radio beginning late November, building to a crescendo Christmas week, then winding down slowly through January.  Modern society, though, is all about rushing...rush into Christmas music and decorations, and by December 26th, it's back to the mundane. 

I want to sit with Christmas for a bit, to appreciate it, to let the season linger.  There are still cookies on the counter, eggnog in the fridge, lights on the tree.  I got Josh Groban's "Noel" in my stocking, so there's still music.  And the girls are still happy and (relatively) well-behaved.

The real world can wait until after New Years.  Besides, we still have 3 more nights of Hannukah, to have our quiet moments of meditation and prayer before we have to blow out the oversized candles that do not fit the Menorrah.  (Last year I was late looking, and ended up with over-large sedar candles.  This year...I forgot again.  But, hey, the girls still love the moments of ritual, and the piece of chocolate they get after, and taking turns blowing out the candles.)  Our UU version of Hannukah--or, really, my own interpretation--breaks down the concepts into little miracles--one night on the miracle of sharing, another on the miracle of family, the miracle of hope, the miracle of solstice, the miracle of light...

No matter how deep the darkness, the light returns.  So May It Be.