Simple Advent

I had big plans. I kept thinking that this Christmas should be the start of a myriad of tradition, despite the fact that Little R is too young to notice much about Christmas, and an advent calendar was one of them. Not just any advent calendar, but something really special. I didn’t want it to be about getting treats every day, but more something that would mark the days passing and celebrate the happy anticipation. I wanted it to be something that we could use every year and (this is perhaps the most tricky) something that we could add to as the years went by, and that Little R could contribute to when she is a little older. Oh yes, I had quite the tradition/family heir loom in mind. But as so often happens, I found myself needing to re-access once “reality” was factored in. I’m sure many of you can identify with this. Babies are great reasons to simplify your ambitious crafting dreams, but there are many many more. And while the drive to make things this time of year is a wonderful one, and something many of us very much enjoy (so much better than the commercial Christmas) it’s no good if you beat yourself up for falling short of your Christmas crafting goals! I told myself that there will be lots of time in the coming years to create this “advent calendar supreme”  (note to self: BEGINNING WORK IN SUMMER!) and let go.

 

So instead this year I have a very simple advent plan. Every day I , or we, will cut a paper snowflake and put it in one of the 24 pane of glass in the front room windows. Simple. Intricate or basic, as time allows. This, I think, is manageable. A tiny, meditative moment. Moreover, each time I make one I’m sure it will remind me to simplify; to ENJOY the making, as much of it as there is, and  let the “undone”  melt, and diminish in importance!

Hope

Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent but I wasn’t ready with and advent wreath, and a cold made getting one together seem like a huge task, so instead we just had a quiet moment with a makeshift single candle.