Christmas preparation gives us pause – to appreciate our blessings

Love your comments, folks, to my last post.

I’m reflecting again on what happens when we clean things out. It IS cathartic and symbolic – good choice of words, Heather.  And yes, it’s also a chance to prepare, Mary.

Of course, preparation isn’t just in the physical sense, is it. It’s also a shaping of attitude and a way to mentally and emotionally prepare for coming things.

Here’s something else I’ve been noticing. It’s our turn for the big family Christmas this year and with a family as large as ours we need all the food storage space we can get. (24 counting babies!) So, I was cleaning out the fridge and freezer on the weekend.

• Frozen pumpkin became delicious pumpkin pie filling.
• Apples stored since the end of apple season have been cooked and frozen for the two 8-month baby cousins.
• And I even surprised myself by turning frozen guavas (given by a kindly neighbour months ago and poked in the freezer while I decided what to do with them) into guava jelly. (That was a shock to the system – I’d never made jelly before.)
• And then there’s the satisfaction of having a lovely clean fridge/freezer (Except the b….. thing’s broken down this morning! Must have been the shock of being cleaned!)

As a young mother and country woman these types of domestic tasks were part of my daily life. It was just what you did back then. But these days, living the fast-paced business life, ‘domestic’ is not my normal forte (ask my husband!). I’ve even got a fridge magnet proclaiming rather tongue-in-cheek:  ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste on housework ‘. (I always hope our wonderful cleaner doesn’t read it and take umbrage! It’s just a joke, Adrienne!)

What I noticed as I worked in the kitchen was that, instead of being in business mode right up to the last minute, by stepping back from my normal tasks and preparing for the visitors it gave me reflective time. My hands were busy but my brain wasn’t running at its usual 100 miles per hour! The sheer routine of the chores turned my mind to something other than business.

I found myself thinking loving and welcoming thoughts about the approaching hordes. I could anticipate the happy noise of ten small children (aged from 2 – 13) racketing around on the lawn and down on the beach. I could see a flotilla of kayaks heading up the river (with me in one of them); the babies being clucked over by doting aunties; their fathers cracking jokes as well as tinnies on the deck. And neighbours dropping in.

Then as I scrubbed out the fridge I found myself appreciative of hot running water, of electricity, and grateful for the money to buy abundant food. (And now it looks like I’ll have to be appreciative of fix-it people or that we can afford a new fridge! At least it didn’t choose to clap out on Christmas Day – for that I am VERY grateful!)

And then there’s the good roads and safety of travel that we take for granted in safe countries such as New Zealand. We could go on……

So, here’s to enjoying preparation time. It gives us pause – to appreciate our blessings.

Not sure if I’ll make any more posts before Christmas, so in case I don’t – every best wish to you all.

Now, where is that electrician’s number?