Holiday Tradition #4: Wake up early, stare at tree

I think traditions that surround the Christmas tree are my favorites. Which totally didn't occur to me until I realized that three out of four Holiday Posts have centered around the selection of, decoration of, and now gazing at said tree.

I remember as a little kid waking up early in the morning for school, curling up on the couch with only the Christmas tree lights on in the livingroom, and thinking it was a very peaceful way to start out a day. Fast forward 30 years, and I still feel the same way. Maybe because this time of year feels like it's enveloped in SO much darkness...you know, when you think 'hey, I go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, and NEVER see daylight?' All that darkness is made tolerable by the presence of Christmas lights, which explains the dozens of strands of small white lights we have going on in our house right now.

So this morning I woke up about a half hour before Zoey, snuck out to the livingroom with my coffee, and just sat and stared at the tree lights. For, like, five whole minutes before I remembered I could be checking my email and reading some of my favorite blogs at the same time. But for those five whole minutes, while my mind drifted over all the upcoming daily activities, I felt very zen. And zen is something that is seriously lacking in my life lately.

So I think we'll keep the tree up until March. Maybe August.