Sleep in heavenly peace

Something switched on today, December 1st.

Christmas excitement.

While I had a couple days in the middle of October where I was more than ready to put up my tree, for the most part I can't stand anything Christmas before December. It's just too soon. This year, while I've managed for the most part to see past the premature decorations, the early bird Christmas carols have been particularly excruciating. Any time I hear one, I actually, physically cringe.

Today, buying my lunch, I heard one in the store.

And got excited.

Because it's December 1st.

It's time for Christmas.

I was just perusing Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong" online. (Silly me, I knew she had a new CD out - I didn't realize it was a Christmas CD). I started listening to the track samples. I got to Silent Night.

Now, my official favourite Christmas carol is O Holy Night, but, as a kid (before I knew of O Holy Night), my favourite was Silent Night. And my most quintessential Christmas moment, the moment where I feel "This is Christmas. Christmas is officially happening" is sitting in Christmas Eve mass, after Communion, when they play Silent Night. A truly peaceful, beautiful moment.

Last year, my grandmother had a stroke. Was in the hospital, then had to enter a nursing home. We didn't go to Christmas Eve mass because we were going on Christmas Day at the nursing home to be with her. Given the location and situation, it was a fairly basic mass, without much singing. I didn't think anything of it beforehand.

After, I realized just how much the Christmas music meant to me. This year I decided I would do both. Be with the family but also go Christmas Eve. To hear the choir.

The last couple days I've really started to long for the week I'll get to go home for Christmas and sit on the couch in the family room, in front of the fire place, in that place of peace and calm. And tonight, as I clicked through the tracks on the CD, I got most excited for that moment at church when they'll start playing Silent Night.

23 days to go.