Advent Week 1

Yesterday, it felt easy to feel connected to Advent.  There was church in the morning, the "Open House" to meet the Liberian pastor brought to Canada through the "Refugee Welcome" programme started by churches in the area (which was incredibly moving - once you have heard the experiences of someone whose life has been in jeopardy on numerous occasions and has literally lost his wife and six children fleeing from rebels, it truly helps you to connect to how blessed you are) and then, the town Tree Lighting caroling and adult choir at church.  I sang endless carols throughout the day, spent lots of time in community with people I love and kept my focus directly on the season.  It was lovely and I had so many hopes of staying focused.

Then, it was back to the real world today.  There was work, which is always insanely busy (kindergarten teachers really don't get to sit down, especially on knitting club days when I don't even get a break at recess) and then, there was taking Pk to skating and the endless minutiae of an evening at home - preparing LB's Beaver badge work, making dinner and lunches for the morning, trying to find a few surfaces in the house and bedtime stories.  Until the kids went to sleep, there was not a second for silence or for reflection.

I am trying to figure out ways to embrace the silence of the season.  Yesterday, I read a blog post (I wish I could remember whose so that I could credit it) in which the person writing set a goal of spending at least five minutes each day of Advent doing nothing at all.  It sounds easy enough.  In another blog post (again, I can't remember whose), someone set the goal of lighting a candle every day.  It sounds easy enough, too.  I'm all about easy right now (and not sure I can manage even that!) so those are my two aims for now.  I intend to enjoy the five minutes of silence when I finish here, after a half hour or so of knitting (Christmas gifts need to get made and an excellent book on Audible needs to be savoured) and I lit a candle during dinner.  I can do this, I know I can, at least this week. 

Working up until the 23rd this year, I'm not sure I can keep it up but I plan to try!