Advent III - Singing In the Car

December 15th - we are more than halfway to Christmas. I am beginning to feel that holiday anxiety of too many obligations, too many lists, and no cessation in the demands of work and usual family needs. In the space of five days, we'll need to get the tree up without Mystery Man to help; finish decorating the house; do loads of laundry; and have a party for the Little One who turns 13, which involves shopping and a lot of cooking. In the midst of it, the big cat has to be cornered and tackled into a carrier to get his shots and the hamster babies have to be dropped off at the pet store. Stan already tried to get the big cat into his carrier for another appointment while I wasn't home and had to give up when the cat got nasty. Last night in bed, I realized that I could stick the cat into a big picnic hamper and secure the lid for the short ride to the vet. We'll certainly get look delivering a cat in a wicker basket, but it's better than getting our hands bitten up or face clawed. (Why do we have this cat??)

In the midst of all the usual hoopla, I find myself skimming my daily meditations with the promise that I'll go back and read them later, but later never comes. Today The Princess comes home from school and I will gently shift a few jobs over to her capable and youthful shoulders.

To keep my spirits calm and to center me as I work late and go in early to catch up with the volume of paperwork that threatens to swamp me, I'm listening to Norah Jone's first album, which always calms me down and relaxes me. I'm also listening to the soundtrack from Love, Actually, which has a great variety of songs about love and Christmas. I find myself belting out "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in my little car as I buzz up the parkway, away from the grime of the Bronx and back to work where so much awaits me. And when I'm really down and dirty, I do my own rendition of "The Trouble of Love Is".

Try singing in the car more often - it's better than a candy bar for revving up your spirits and transporting you to a better place.