Dec 19, 2017 3 min read

I have joked recently that in both retail and farming, life is a cycle set on repeat. Seasons determine your daily activities in both occupations spring, summer, fall, winter. They come and go, and you’re planning for the next one while one is still happening.

We all know that it’s true in retail. Go into a store today, one week before Christmas, and I guarantee you can buy a Valentine’s gift along with your last-minute tinsel purchase. It’s only fitting, I suppose, since Christmas has been on display since Halloween. By the time Valentine’s Day actually arrives, Easter candy and picnic supplies will be sharing the planogram.

In my line of work, our seasons follow more closely along with the seasons of the farmer. Before I’m used to writing 2018 on my checks, I’ll be bringing out garden seeds in anticipation of spring planting. Crabgrass-control lawn fertilizer and sunny flags will replace the snow melt and wood pellet displays.

Here on the farm, we’re readying things for the calves that are coming due. We’re talking about how much twine we’ll need beginning in May, and which cows may need culled next fall.

It’s no wonder we all feel so much pressure and stress, I think. We are never looking at today: We are always living down the road, months ahead, reaching for what could be, might be, possibly will. We forget that there are a lot of brilliant, wonderful, amazing moments along the way.

I’ve been so busy myself this year that I never got out our Christmas decorations. I never ordered Christmas cards or even got our family photo taken for them. I haven’t baked any cookies, planned our meal or even completed my shopping yet. And the longer I take, the more pressure I feel. You see, Christmas is coming nonetheless.

Last week, my son tired of waiting for me and dragged the tree and ornaments up from the basement while I was at work. He built our tree and decorated it by himself. (This is evident by the fact that the largest branches – the ones that should make up the bottom layer – are in the middle, giving our tree a wide center and narrow base.) He was so excited about his efforts that we’ve left it just as he built it.

To me, it’s perfect. It has reminded me that Christmas is not about the textbook tree, the flawless gift or the proper amount of baked pastries. It’s about love, sharing, heart and faith. It’s about Jesus’ birth, knowing he came to give us all those things. Those are what makes Christmas Christmas. And those things are enough for any day, not just in December.

Mind you, I’m not naïve enough to think that we can – or should – live only in the moment without thinking about the potential consequences of our actions. I’m not suggesting that everyone give up their dreams; in fact, please don’t settle for less than you deserve. Just remember those little moments and hold fast to them. Remember that peace, contentment and even joy are found in between the cycles and events on the calendar. They are found in relationships, they are found in laughter, and every so often, they are even found in lopsided Christmas trees.