Advent

As a family we try to embrace advent. The season of preparing for Christmas. We want to savour and enjoy each day leading up to it, so we can anticipate and cherish the journey. It is the journey that often gets lost in the hustle and bustle. Yet it is the journey where we grow, the preparations that make the celebration so much sweeter. There are several things we do that encourages and helps this long wait fill with joy.

Our advent mural is one of them. A good friend of mine introduced me to this idea and it was something that touched me, we have since incorporated it into our traditions.

First we draw a mural, with a long road leading up to a Star for Christmas day. Along the road are twenty 24 houses, each with their own unique flare. Each of the houses represents a family we will be celebrating, appreciating and holding in our hearts for that day in particular. We might take over cookies, give them a call, mail a card, shovel their driveway, make them a tea time basket, craft a gift, invite them for dinner, the options never running short.

This is such a wonderful way for us to incorporate people who are not close by and whom we think of often. It is also a great way for us to let people we don't know very well that we care and appreciate them, such as the librarians who help us each week, or the cub leaders who give so much time, or the food bank workers who ask for no thanks. It brings all of these people at a little closer to us. I think that is what its all about.