You know that book about The Polar Express
? And the slightly creepy movie verison of The Polar Express
with Tom Hanks in every role?

That Holiday Train is barreling down the tracks toward me and I feel like that cyclopsean light is hitting me right between the eyes.

I was supposed to get my hair done today, but I've got two kids with slight fevers and runny noses, so I had to cancel. I've got a whole bunch of presents to wrap, and cookies to bake, and tree needles to vacuum up. I've also got a bunch of work to accomplish before I can kick into vacation mode.

I made my sister go Christmas shopping with me yesterday, and the two of us stumbled around the mall vaguely shellshocked. We wandered in and out of stores, picking things up, putting them down again. I made it out of the house without a list, and honestly, there just wasn't much that I was called to buy. Almost all of our material needs have already been met this year, and so many of our wants, too. Man oh man, it just made me very, very conscious of how blessed we are.

And it made me feel very determined to appreciate that more.

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