Peace, the best gift of all

There is so much I love about Christmas, from getting together with family and friends, to the sights and the sounds and homemade delights. But my favourite part of Christmas is the gift of peace. Christmas seems to be the only time of year when life truly slows down. I have had to slow down because of a cold that has dogged me most of December. I complained about how it wouldn't turn into a real cold, and then naturally this week it did!

I have watched the sun rise while lying on the couch for two mornings in a row now. There's nothing more beautiful than a crisp Alberta morning, where everything is weirdly blue for several hours. First a pretty cobalt blue, then a lighter blue as the sun wakes. We live on a busy road that is a shortcut between two communities and also a bus route. No kids, no commuters, no joggers...just many hours of treasured peacefulness while my pet birds preen and grind their beaks with contentment. Even they could feel this peacefulness. So from my family to yours, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!