Wait, Wait in the Holidaze?

Embarrassingly, about seven years ago I signed off every email in December saying, "Happy Holidaze!"-- what I considered a punny take on the life I was living. This year, I've been signing "Happy Advent!" Not punny at all. Actually, most people are like, "Huh?" Well, I'm all about exploring thinking and taking steps to make positive change. For me, signing "Happy Advent" has helped me explore my thinking about the meaning of this holiday season in a new way. A few facts: • Whatever your holiday is this time of year, it's annual. You and me, we'll face it every year. • For Christians, this "season" before December 25th is the Advent Season, and it's all about waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting (around four weeks) until we celebrate a birth, a new life. The reward at the end of the waiting. A few truths: • I am not good at waiting. • And I don't even want to wait. However, this season happens... annually! Every year the Advent Season is about waiting. Why? Maybe it's because I (and some other humans before me) need an annual reminder to wait. I don't usually practice waiting in Advent; I usually practice running around like a crazy person. But not this year. This small daily act of thinking "Happy Advent" has changed my December this year. It's been pretty cool. And the act of thinking about the meaning of waiting has slowed me down immeasurably. I've realized waiting can tough, but no more than surviving the holidaze -- whichever one you celebrate.