The holidays have arrived

It’s 5:30pm.

We’re driving home from a late-afternoon errand. We’re on our way to dinner.

She has moved on from the tantrum she threw in the check-out line at Target. I’m still working on it.

Outside my window I see houses trimmed in lights. The first I’ve seen this season. And my mind wanders back some 20 years. My brother, sister, and I in the backseat of my parent’s car as my Dad drives us home from my Aunt and Uncle’s house. Each of us with our eyes locked on the world outside the windows. We’re scanning the streets for holiday lights. At first sight you were required to shout “Look on my side!” and all 5 heads would turn at once.

And I can’t resist.

“Look out my side!”

Giggles erupt in the backseat.

“Oh my goodness! Look at that!”

And so it goes. All the way home. And then some. We drive through neighborhoods we would normally not encounter, all in search of the holidays.

We catch people putting up lights. Large, picture windows reveal families trimming their trees.

We’ve caught the neighborhood in the threshold of the holiday season. Time with family is starting. Preparations are being made.

And I catch it.

That elusive holiday spirit I’d been searching for. I catch it.

As we drive, she giggles and delights in the colors, the lit up Santas and penguins and snowmen. The world aglow.

Back home, we jump through that threshold with both feet. I pull boxes of ornaments out of the attic. I show her the stockings.

Today we bought and decorated our tree. We sang and danced to Christmas carols. We baked our first batch of holiday cookies. That they burnt won’t stop us. We’re going full steam ahead with this holiday spirit.

~~~~~

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spell checking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post at All Things Fadra.
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