Make it Count!

I still have a mailbox. I've thought of switching to a P.O. Box many times, but the thought of having to make one more stop on my way home to get my mail makes me crazy! And in order to have that mailbox and feel like it's more secure, it is not in front of my house. It's around the corner in front of my parents house, clustered with a couple other mailboxes. This placement confuses so many people. I have the county approved blue reflective sign at the bottom of my driveway with my house numbers posted. But people still get confused about how to find my house. My parents live next door to us. And quite frequently I have to call them. I ask them to check their porch for deliveries that have been delivered because they are not at my house. Oftentimes, they get the organic groceries that I have delivered. And even the pizza man gets confused. My parents driveway isn't marked at all, but they tend to always get our stuff. I had to share that story to tell you this next one, which is the actual basis for my blog post tonight. I order a lot of things and I think that I have a new mail carrier, because more often than not, I'll get the little brown postcard attached to my door saying that they tried to deliver a package, but they won't leave it. The reason? No house numbers. REALLY?? It's at the bottom of my driveway...posted to the fencepost at the bottom of my driveway. My house numbers are not actually on my house, but I never thought this would be so difficult as it is for people. So, I had to go to the post office. Friday, after school, I had the choice to work on progress reports, or go to the post office and head home a little early. After many attempts to work, and many interruptions, I decided to just head home. I called ahead and ordered Chinese food, and headed for the post office. I got there around 4:30 and walked into the lobby. I was met by a line of about 30 people, and one...window...open. I was impatient just looking at the line, but I got in line. I needed to pick up my package, and I also needed stamps. My Christmas cards have been addressed for about three weeks now, but I can't send them out because I didn't have stamps. The line was moving ok. I pulled out my phone and started checking Facebook. I was half listening to the man in front of me. He was cheerfully talking to the woman in front of him about Friday the 13th. Then he told us how he was going to go home and wrap lumpia for a party. People began joking with each other. I put my phone away and watched what was going on. Instead of the typical hurried, anxious, tired, angry mob the people in line were talking, making friends in line. There was a sweet little old lady in line a few people in front of us. She reminded me of my grandmother. She got to the front of the line and mailed her packages. She also needed stamps. My attention turned to the man behind me. He was sighing heavily and muttering under his breath about how ridiculous it was there was only one window open. Grandma was at the counter asking to look at the Christmas stamps. She was shaking her head and telling the postman how she just couldn't decide which picture she wanted. I smiled. The man behind said some not nice words and said, "Lady, they're just stamps! Pick one and get out of the way!" I turned around, as did the rest of the line, and frowned at him. He looked at all of us and said, "What?" The man in front of me said, "It's OK! We're making friends! And there is no greater decision than the stamps for your Christmas cards. It's the one time of year we tell everyone that we love them, that we miss them, that we let people know how we're doing. That deserves a good stamp." I could feel my heart filling with love, and my eyes filling with tears. I was that man when I walked into the post office. All I wanted was to get my Chinese food and get home to my girls. But that interaction was important for me to witness! This weekend, I slowed down a bit. I'm still a little panicked at all the things that I have to get done, but mostly things at work. The girls and I had a fabulous weekend, decorating our house, getting ready for Christmas. We didn't get done. We didn't get close to done, but we spent time together. We slowed down for just a little bit and captured memories. They helped me unwrap things from our Christmas boxes. They wanted to hear stories. I got to tell them how we have a tradition to buy one Christmas village house every Christmas. I told them about my sweet grandma and how she collected mice. And when her house burned down, her mice were salvaged and how I got her mice. I put each old, broken, worn mouse on my mantle, and cried an ocean of tears as I thought about her house. I used to sit in the chair next to the wall where her mice sat and looked at all of the funny little mice. I told the girls about the Christmas plate from 2006, Brian and my first Christmas together as husband and wife, and how I was pregnant with Amelia that Christmas. So many special memories. As I was tucking Amelia into bed tonight, I told her how much I loved her and what a fun weekend we had. We kissed and I turned off her light. Then, "Mommy, just one more thing! I'm kinda sad!" "Why, sweetheart?" "It was a good weekend, but we didn't get very much done. Why did it have to go so fast? I think every weekend we have is shorter than the one before!" "It does go fast, Amelia, but it's not about what we get done or how much time we have. It's about the time that we got to spend together and how we spent the time. I had a great weekend. And no, we didn't get nearly enough done, but it doesn't matter! I loved sharing stories with you. I loved that we danced to the snowman iPod speaker. I love that you helped me put together decorations that bring my the best memories ever. So, it did go too fast, but let's look at it as getting us closer to the next weekend we get together, which brings us to Christmas break, OK? "OK, mommy! I can't wait to stay home with you!" "I can't wait either! I love you..." "I love you too!" And as I walked to the living room to complete a few more tasks I had to do before bed, I smiled. The man in the post office is right, and I have felt it more this year than ever. The past few years I haven't wanted to bring things out. Decorating was too hard. Going through boxes was too difficult. There was too much and I just couldn't handle it. This year, we're not getting done quickly either, but it's not about wanting to. It's about savoring every minute of the holidays. It does go fast! Time goes too fast! There isn't time to do anything. And more often than not, I find myself saying that. There are so many things that people feel like the HAVE TO get done, but I'm sure if you think about it, it can wait! Christmas comes whether all 25 Santas are out or not. It'll be here with or without a Christmas tree. And Santa can eat Oreos just as easily as he can eat fancy homemade sugar cookies. And if you try to do it all, you get lost in the process. Don't!! A few of my teacher friends and I were talking at lunch the other day about how there's not time to just come home from work and enjoy Christmas with our kids. And that's wrong! We need to make that a priority. I'm not an expert and I don't have the magic that will tell you how to make that happen. But I am telling you to make your own magic and try and figure it out! Make time to make those moments happen. We have a huge basket of Christmas books. We haven't read them yet. We need to! We have plans to go to Zoolights with friends. We haven't yet. There's no time where everyone can go. We need to! I haven't sent out the Christmas cards. We need to! And when I look at my plain, old stamps I think of how that played out in the post office. I need to be more like that little old grandma and make buying those stamps the most important thing in the world at that moment. And I also need to be more like the man in front of me, who reminded a whole post office full of people that there should be nothing more important than those stamps. Who reminded us all that we need to slow down and be better people. Why do we wait until Christmas to check on the people that we love? Why do we only choose stamps at this time of year? We're busy! And I get that. So, since we only do it one time a year, we should make it count. I guess that's the message I want to get across more than anything. Make it count! Don't let the time get sucked away. Don't let the cards be another chore on your to do list. Don't let household chores and work tasks get in the way of the reason for the season. I hung our nativity countdown calendar on the wall and in my frenzy of trying to get things done, I snapped at Amelia when she asked if we could put the days up for the 500th time. And then I thought of post office guy. I set down what I was doing and walked over and took it off the wall. We sat down in the chair and did the calendar together. Because that's what I've been preaching on. The reason for the season...stop and make the most of it! Make it count. Because it does go way too fast and before we know it, it'll be gone! Make those memories. Figure out what it important! Once you do, there will be a way! Make it count!