Half-Done Holiday

The last time I checked, it was June.
Christmas is coming whether I'm ready or not.  I prefer to be ready, but that feeling of being a little "behind" on things has been taken over by a feeling of "I am a Christmas loser."

I am not lying when I tell you I know folks who've already finished all their shopping.  Their Christmas ham is probably in the oven.

I have friends who own those pesky "Elf on a Shelf," and they've been up to their elf shenanigans for weeks now.

I received 3 Christmas cards on November 30.  Yep... November.

I just thought about ordering our Christmas cards this week.

We are the most "festive" people on our street, and we usually have lights up outside, but right now, our front porch is coldly dark.  The neighbors must think we've died.

I found the garland I like to put on the mantle, but the lights aren't working. 
You'd think I could grab a strand of lights at the store.  Have you tried to buy Christmas lights lately?  There's LED, non-LED, warm LED, cold LED, 60 light strands, 100 light strands, 50 light strands, and lights that hang themselves.  Just kidding.  If there were lights that hang themselves, my mantle would be lit.

Our tree is up, but the topper is missing.  Now that I think about it, the angel quit last year.  Quit "working," as in, stopped lighting up.  She didn't quit her job.  Maybe she did.  Maybe she went to live with a family who has their Christmas act together.

There's a song by Amy Grant called "I Need a Silent Night."
I.  Love.  It.
I'm going to change the words to "I need a silent month."

I understand the song is about the rush and bustle of the holidays; the "chaos and the noise."  But, today - as I was listening to it - I realized (for me) it's also about peace within.  Peace inside my mind.  The ability to stay quiet and calm in my heart... despite what my own voices in my head are saying. 
I not only fall victim to comparing myself to others, I fall short of my own ridiculously high standards.  Why would I do that to myself when life is stressful enough?

So if you drop by our house, the tree may be barren up top.  But this song will be on replay:

I need a silent night, a holy night
To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here
To end this crazy day with a silent night.