Here's the Story: It's a Time for Thinking

Earth looks amazingly cool from space.

On this Christmas Eve, content to have worked half the day and to be listening to the Swiffer spewing floor cleaner and the dryer squeaking as it warms the sheets, I feel good about life and am glad to be home. And oh so thankful to have what I have.

There's always been a feeling of happiness and contentment on this holiday, one of the few times of the year when I allow myself to forget about work and obligations. Usually, there's also a twinge of guilt about all of the abundance in my life when so many people around the world are lacking in basic necessities. This year that feeling is much different. These aren't just "people around the world," they're people right here.

It's a time for thinking. Re-evaluating what's important and making sure I'm contributing enough things that matter to the larger, fragile spectrum of life--life right here.

Isn't it easy to get caught up in frivolous details that mean nothing in the grand scheme of life? Makes us forget to live with the basic mission of making things better for anyone we can. Sometimes you have to step back a little and see things from a distance to realize you're off the mark and need to come back to the source.

Merry Christmas. Give yourself the gift of committing to one new thing that will make the world a little nicer. I'm going to start volunteering at the Food Bank & bringing the tween along to see how good a little service is for the soul.