cantaloupe & carts

What, exactly, is the secret to choosing the correct cart at wal-mart?  Could someone please clue me in?  Tonight-like every single other wal-mart experience of my life-I walked through the doors, strode confidently over to the shopping carts, picked one, and tugged.  And tugged.  'Okay,' I thought, 'this one's not for me.'  I selected a different cart and pulled.  And pulled.  Third time is the charm, right?  Wrong.  Is it just me?  Please tell me that this happens to someone else.  And why is it that my fellow shoppers seem to find the perfect cart so effortlessly?!  I am convinced that they are chuckling at this silly girl who obviously has no idea how to choose a shopping cart and begin navigating the black hole of shopping that is wal-mart.  I have to laugh at myself-and I generally do, when I find myself in this predicament YET again.  Tonight all I needed was some cantaloupe.  Okay, need is a strong word, but I was desperate for some.  I was actually pretty proud of myself for making it there before 11 pm-"YES," I thought to myself-I will make it before freight gets there!  Wrong again.  However, as I picked my way around pallets of products, I remembered a thought I had earlier this week. 

The other day I stopped by my favorite Hobby Lobby for a few crafting supplies and was drawn to the holiday section within seconds.  I have a confession-I am a fiend for holiday decorating.  Not just any holiday-Christmas.  I love love love it.  The sparkly lights, the music, the Christmas trees, the greens and reds and silvers and blues...I could go on and on.  My second favorite day of the year is the day that the Christmas displays go up in the stores.  You would think I was 5.  This is not to say I love the commercialism and heavy emphasis on gifts...it's more the feeling of excitement and joy that fills the air.  It's almost tangible.  I fully believe that at least part of my love of the holiday ties in to my name.  Merry.  When I was a little girl, I loved the phrase, "'tis the season to be merry."   I realize to many of you, this post will seem to come way too early.  Let me explain-to me, Christmas begins with the season change of summer into autumn.  Summer shedding her bright greens for rich hues of red and gold is the beginning.  And everything from September on is simply paving the way for Christmas.  It's almost like being on a train...yes, there are a few stops in between...Labor Day...Columbus Day...Thanksgiving...but the final destination is...  Well, you get the picture. 

Anyhow, as I looked at the many ornaments, trees, etc., I found myself thinking.  Why is it that I love Christmas so much?  Obviously, I love that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and I love the emphasis on spending time with family, but why else?  I realized that it all boils down to this:  People are happy.  Full of good cheer.  They acknowledge one another during the hustle and bustle.  They take an interest in each other.  Don't get me wrong, I love living in the city, but it is so easy to just brush past someone without so much as a smile.  And then I thought of something else.  We've been given so much-shouldn't we be sharing and spreading some of those 'good tidings' and cheer all year?  Why do we have to wait until November? (for most:o)  Why is the "spirit of Christmas" confined to a calendar month?  I say we change things up and stretch it out a bit.  Let's say, all year.  Are you in?  I am!  Let's do it!

This may not be a huge revelation to you, but for some reason, this really struck a chord with me.  I hope you are all enjoying this holiday weekend with your loved ones!  Do me a favor:  Tell them how much you love them.  I know it's easy to forget with all the barbecues and football hoopla, but it is so important.  We never know how much time we've been given.


love & good cheer, :o)
m