by @RamonaRichards

Happy Christmas!

Here’s hoping that none of you are reading this the day it posted (Christmas Day), or even the day before. I, for one, hope you are spending Christmas Day nestled in the heart of your family, surrounded by laughter and food, making memories to last a lifetime.

For many people, that’s a truth at Christmas—it’s a time to treasure and to be treasured.

I’m not, however, one of those people. 

I like a quiet Christmas. Although a lot of people may arch their eyebrows and doubt my words, I prefer spending Christmas alone. I’m not fond of large gatherings, even family. I grew up in a small immediate family (there were four of us), and we spent many holidays just chatting, putting together puzzles or reading. Many years ago, when I had plans to take my daughter and journey to visit my mother for just such a Christmas, an ice storm moved in, destroying our plans. Instead of food and laughter with my mother and her friends at her facility, my daughter and I celebrated at home. In order to try to put my disappointment out of mind, I worked on my taxes. 

Yep. Taxes. Christmas Eve. 

And, y’know…I found out that I liked it. There was an odd peace to be had that day. I was organizing something important, and Christmas music played all day, along with Rachel’s movies (we kept The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast on repeat). The ice and snow outside muffled the sounds of the cars and passing voices. It was QUIET.

I also got a lot of writing done. The world was frozen in a type of downtime season, and as my mind quietened, the creativity flowed. And as Christmas Day dawned, I found myself focused even more on the presence of God. The quiet drew me in, and the Lord found my heart.

So this is also my wish for you this Christmas: that in the midst of the joyful busyness and the family frolics, you find some peace of mind, and some openness to the touch of God on your lives. That your creativity flows, and the call on your life brings comfort.

Blessings to you all, now in all of 2021.

Ramona Richards is, according to her publisher, a “veteran of Christian publishing,” which hopefully makes her sound older than she is. She’s the author or contributor to a bunch of books, including her latest novel, Burying Daisy Doe, and Tracking Changes: One’s Editor’s Advice to Inspirational Fiction Authors.