Between the Holidays

I just love this quiet week: all the pre-Xmas craziness has passed and the back-to-serious-work hasn't kicked in yet. The roads are empty and people are spending more time with family and friends and I don't have to plan my coming and going around rush hour.

My friend Moni speculated that December is a time when our biorhythms tell us to hibernate, and part of the holiday stress comes from partying and shopping and scrambling and not honoring that "slow down" instinct. This between the holidays week is a great time for that slowing down to happen. (I also wonder if our prehistoric ancestors also had to use this time to strengthen their social connections, because they might have to rely on fellow tribesmen to help them through the coming winter, but that's a different post.)

When I was working I used to relish this week. The office was empty and there were no distractions and no deadlines -no one expected anything until January. I always used the time to organize my desk and purge my files and reflect on the last year and prioritize for the next. This year, we're spending lovely quiet time alone together, or one-on-one with friends instead of big boisterous parties, enjoying the snowy hush of the almost-empty marina and the cozy little circle of light and warmth of our boat. And, being pleased that we'll only have a month of winter and headed to Aruba next week. <*wink*>