Getting Ready for 2012, Part III

Today was the day my retreat was supposed to end.  Although I had to come home early, I guess you could say that I’ve remained in retreat mode.

There has been a lot to ponder about 2011.  Lots of difficult situations, but also plenty of grace-filled moments.  Overall, I’m ready to move on.  How about you?

Today was a day for cleaning up.  I know I’m a bit early, but I spent the afternoon taking down my tree. This was a special Christmas tree for me, since I had the blessing of having some children help me with the decorations.  My friend’s four children came over the day after I got the tree, and we had a lot of fun.

I’m usually a bit set in my ways about how I think decorations should look, but it’s not that way with little kids around.  No, they have their own notions on where things should go, and I didn’t move any of them.  As I took down each ornament, I thought about how special that day was.  Well, enough reminiscing.  Time to move on, right?

My plan is to have everything packed up except a couple of nativity scenes I have around.  It’s a bit too early to take them down, but everything else will be gone by tomorrow afternoon.  I’m so ready to welcome the New Year.

It’s funny that there is so much fear attached to 2012.

cartoon by Bizarro

You know, the thing is, we just don’t know when our time is up.  Pope John Paul II was once asked, just before the year 2000, if he thought it would mark the end of the world.  He said, for some, today will be the end of the world.  For others, it will come tomorrow. What a wise philosophy of living.

As we wind down 2011, I think it’s a good idea to be introspective.  How are we living our life?  What needs to remain the same, what needs to improve?  Keep working on those resolutions, folks.  Implementation starts soon 🙂