There are plenty of people who will say this is the busiest time of the year for them. For some reason, I find that this time of the year is time to slow down for a while. Maybe it’s because our activity schedule seems to settle a bit. Maybe it’s because the cold weather means outside chores, yard work and the like aren’t part of the agenda for several weeks. One lady said it was because I was a man; the woman does the brunt of the holiday work. Maybe she’s right.

What I can’t seem to understand is how fast time goes by.  It just seems like a few weeks ago that we were finishing up summer things and getting ready for school to begin. My kids say “Dad, only older people talk about these things.”  Maybe so.

As we try to do, we get down the Christmas stuff from the garage attic and begin unpacking and sorting through. For the life of me, I can’t recall last Christmas much or remember whether or not we took great care in taking down the decorations or not. When I pop open the lids of the totes, it’s always a surprise. Oh look, the hooks are still in the ornaments and everything is packed by room.  Here’s the stuff we put on the tree upstairs. Here’s the garland for the front door in a tub marked “outside.” OK, so I did a decent job last year.

But again, I can’t remember how or when I did any of it.

So, if time goes by so quickly, then why does a year ago seem so far away? As I sit here, I think about my own birthday in July. No, it doesn’t seem like July was that long ago, but I don’t remember where we went or what we did. Should I  be frightened?

Then we think about Christmas day. It seems a good bit away, too. We have time to get things finished and ready.  Then, I sit and look at the calendar. I realize we only have three full weeks of school until Christmas vacation. In between now and then, there is a college visit, several ball games, band concerts, doctor appointments, our anniversary and various activities that will come and go.  Wait. Did I say things seem to be slowing down?

One of my friends told me life goes by at warp speed after you start having kids. Yes, I agree. I was already in my 30s when we started having kiddos and in my mid-40s when we had the baby.  She is already 4 years old and will start kindergarten next year. And next year starts in a few weeks. We have a few more years of having one last little kid in the house for Christmas. OK. Let’s not think about that stuff right now.

Our oldest is off to college next year. Our younger son will drive. Our oldest daughter will become a teenager. Kindergarten. Holy cow. What a year this will be. Maybe I shouldn’t be sitting here thinking about it all.

We have decisions to make about our time, don’t we? I mean, I could sit here and fret and fuss about how most of my kids aren’t little anymore or about how they will now start to leave the nest. I can get all melancholy and become a real pain in the neck if I want to.

But no. How about this: why not get excited about change?  What fun it will be to hear college stories and experience it all again. Another kid driving in the house? As long as it’s all safe and careful, it’s a huge help! Teenager? Well, why not.  We haven’t had a girl teenager in the house yet. Pre-school was full of fun with daily reports and new discoveries each day. I can’t imagine how much joy kindergarten will bring.

Is time flying? Faster every year, I’m afraid. Next year will be my last year in my 40s. I talk about that too much! Who cares, anyway.  I’m not the only person to be 49. Big deal, Tullis. Not a thing I can do about the passage of time.

So, yep. I’d better slow down. Savor the season. Remember why we are here and what it is all about: Hope, Joy and Peace.