Sunrise, Sunset, and Christmas: Time Marches On

Did you know the International Space Station crew sees 16 sunrises and sunsets in just 24 hours??

My husband shared this random information with me at the perfect time this weekend, just as I was lamenting to myself how quickly the years are passing. ?The Thanksgiving clean-up was done and normally I’d be looking forward to putting up our Christmas tree and our other decorations in the coming days.?

This time, though, it felt like a daunting task.?Didn’t I just put last year’s “Christmas” away??

Logically, it makes sense that the more sunrises and sunsets (and Christmases) we have under our belt, the shorter each year will feel.?When I was 10 years old, hoping for my first-ever 10-speed bicycle under the tree, one year equaled 10 percent of my life!?Now…well, one year is just a tiny percentage, as I roll into my 56th Christmas.

Not one who lets a little melancholy get in the way of her schedule, I set out to get the job done.?I’m happy to say that I’m now sitting in front of our brightly lit tree, smiling at the stockings hung with care on the fireplace.?But getting here wasn’t a pretty sight.

If you’re ever feeling a little low and can’t quite put your finger on the reason, might I suggest decorating your Christmas tree??

With each ornament I unwrapped, it became more and more clear just how much I was missing my mom (now gone more than eight years), and also missing our son, Jake, and his girlfriend, Chrissy, who are living in Munich.

Looking back through the ornaments, my thoughts shifted toward the future, wondering what the next year will hold.?With more than one of my nearest and dearest waiting to see what 2023 holds for their health, I’m all too aware that we really don’t know what tomorrow or the next year will look like.

Not surprisingly, I shed a few (hundred?) tears during the process of decorating.?But you know what? ?I think this is our best tree ever!?This tree was not just thrown up in a rush to just “get it done.” ??We have quite the variety of special-memory ornaments plus the more basic bulbs we’ve collected over the years, so each year’s tree looks a little different.

This tree is the perfect combination; a tribute to Christmases past, plus a bright reminder to enjoy the moment, to love on my people (and pups), and to take the time to reflect on what matters during this holiday season.