MERRY CHRISTMAS!

As Christmas day comes to a close, I wanted to wish y'all a Merry Christmas!  As many of ya'll can attest to, the holiday season sweeps in like a cold front (similar to that seen in Texas today!) and is gone before we have time to sit back, relax, and savor the moment.  Year after year, I awake on December 26th to a more somber realization that life picks up right where everyone left off before Thanksgiving and without even so much as a brief pause to stop, take a breath and regroup from the hustle & bustle of the holidays.  Thankfully, for me, my birthday happens to be on the 29th, and as someone who believes wholeheartedly in starting each and every day like it's my birthday, I jump at the opportunity to  celebrate the month of December, every single one of the 31 days calls for a celebration.  So this got me to thinking recently, and the truth is, I've always wondered why we wait till December, the final month of the year, to spend time with loved ones, gather together for dinner and holiday parties, tell those who are near and dear to us how much they mean to us, and spread goodwill & cheer to strangers and friends alike?  My hope for you, my readers, is that as we come to the end of the 2012 holiday season you find a way to carry on the holiday spirit year round, spreading love & cheer throughout the 2013 year! 

I also wanted to share this thought provoking and inspiring Op-Ed article in the New York Times today, and I would definitely take a few minutes to read it if you have some free time or are traveling over the next few days!