Sometimes I even experience this as reality. It has nothing to do with how much of my shopping I’ve gotten done, or how many parties I’ve attended, or if my cards have gone out on time (which they don’t—ever). It has to do with my focus. If I think of others, listen to plenty of Christmas music, and don’t rush to decorate my house in one day (there are no Christmas police, I always say), I have a much better chance.
Starting with the first week of Advent (my husband is an Episcopal minister, after all), I locate and light my Rigaud cypress candle—you know, the one that’s dark green with the red ribbon. It’s the first sign that the holidays are beginning. It was my mother’s ritual, and when,…
