Cherished customs, ceremonies, and celebrations!
Tissue, tinsel, and trees!
When I think of December in the present
It is filled with friends, conversations, and family.
Christmas lights, winter runs, and rain.
Sometimes the feeling is frazzled, frustrated, and frantic,
Especially during the last week of school before the break.
But there is comfort and joy after all the rush.
I started early and savored the sounds of Christmas music.
I enjoyed the sweet aromas of hot chocolate, gingerbread, sugar cookies,
and smoked turkey.
For the past few years, my running group has planned what we call
“The Christmas Light” run.
A few days before Christmas, we leave before sunrise.
The desert winter air is thin and bracing as we run toward the lights.
Twenty minutes of running and chatter, and at last, the sparkly lights shimmer into view.
Crimson, emerald, white, and blue lights twinkle in the hush before dawn.
Main Street City Center in splendor.
We meet a new friend, marvel at the towering Christmas tree crowned with its radiant star,
and wander through the glowing tunnel of shimmering light.
Dawn breaks as we turn the corner, and there, the city’s temple gleams in quiet majesty.
Before the temple stand sacred figures of Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child. A celestial golden glow pours from the temple windows, casting light that feels both hallowed and serene.
Winter pansies and snapdragons wake with the first rays of sunlight. The city stirs quietly as the temple rises above the hushed streets.
Time seems to pause in this Christmas scene, reverent awe, only for a moment. Then, our voices return as we wind our way back home through the quiet roads.
