whoa! it’s december already!

i think this month snuck up on me. i was totally not prepared. like, not at all. first of all, november flew by like nothing i’ve ever experienced before. it felt as if it was only a week long. i mean, i have absolutely no idea where the time went or what i did. but, there’s no time to focus on that now…

it’s december! in fact, today it is already late at night on the 2nd of december. i need things to slow down. i don’t want to miss out on savoring the moments that come. i want to live in the present, and be aware and mindful of all that is going on. but, more than anything, i don’t want december to go by in a flurry of activities and miss the meaningfulness of this season – religious, natural, or otherwise . i want to embrace and feel all of december’s days and rituals and traditions.

but, that’s what’s good about photo journeys, i think. if nothing else, i slow just enough during the day to intentionally take a photo that means something, that represents something. when i make the photo journeys, i also think very long and hard about the season, the month, and all of the cyclical things that will be happening during the month – and i try to keep in mind all my buddies in the southern hemisphere as well. i try really hard to use the happenings of the year in the themes and sub themes of the photo journeys…

so, with that in mind, i decided that december’s theme would be “the gifts of the season”. it is my intentional way of finding space and time every single day to slow down just enough to be aware of one of the gifts that this season gives us. this december, i decided to focus on 5 different sub themes (or gifts):

1. the gift of preparation (dec. 1-7) – if you are religious, then this first week’s sub theme has everything to do with the season of advent in the christian calendar. a season much like lent (before easter), one of preparation for the celebration that is to follow. a time to look inward, to listen, to look, to be watchful and aware. a time to consider who we are, what we hope for, and how we live out that hope in our lives. if you are not religious, no problem. it is still a season of preparation: preparing for the holidays and the end of a year. it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, so preparing ourselves and slowing down and being mindful is something we all need, especially as the year comes to a close.

2. the gift of symbols (dec. 8-14)  – there are symbols everywhere you look throughout december. from stars to lights to trees to noises. we often don’t think of the meanings behind all of the symbols, but there are very deep, powerful meanings behind them all. this december, i hope that we all stop to consider those meanings when we take a photo of some of those symbols during the second week… if you don’t know the meaning of the symbol for the day, then i will be sure to write about it on my instagram photo, so you can find out there. or, you can just leave a comment here & ask me. 🙂

3. the gift of continuity (dec. 15-21) – during december, the third week of it to be exact, we change seasons in the northern hemisphere… from autumn to winter. we are faced with the longest day of the year, the darkest time of the year, as the sun is the farthest away from us. however, once the winter solstice is past, the days begin getting longer every day from december 22 to june 22 (the longest day of the year/summer solstice). this change of seasons, these yearly cycles, teach so so very much about life and death, hope and promise, even in the midst of darkness and suffering. it is a very symbolic time of the year, theologically and naturally. then again, i’m the girl who believes that nature teaches us about spirituality, and spirituality teaches us about nature. or, to put it another way, all of life is sacred and holy. mysterious. known, and yet unknown. so, the third sub theme is meant to help us focus on nature and all that she teaches us through the mystery of rhythms and cycles. you know, many of our holiday traditions actually come from early pagan rituals of celebration of this time of year in nature… so, it’s only fitting that we celebrate this miraculous and beautiful time of year, thanking mother nature for all she has done.

4. the gift of music (dec. 22-28) – ok. so i got cheesy here. but, we all love some holiday music. and seeing that this is the week of christmas eve and christmas day, i thought we’d take some time to slow down and really feel the music of the season – we’re gonna be singing it and hearing it anyway, might as well focus on it. of course, it was really hard to choose songs for this, because i could do a whole year of photo journeys on christmas songs. but, these, kinda just came to me as i thought about each day and they felt right. so, interpret them however you wish… but at least give them a listen on their day. let the music speak to your soul.

5. the gift of reflection (dec. 29-31) – if you know anything about me personally, you know that i looove reflecting before i move on. so, for the last three days of 2013, i thought it’d be fun to think a little about the year that has been and the year that is to come. and then, on the 31st… it’s all about celebrating!!

i hope that you join in with me during december. i hope that you don’t think of it as “one more thing to do”, but instead, something to help us stay focused and aware. time flies by so fast. life moves at a speedy pace and we miss so much. hopefully this photo journey will help us to take a breath and take a look at all that is going on, and then, take that moment to be grateful for one tiny little thing.

in any case, this photo journey is my holiday gift to you.

here’s to wishing you a december that is merry and bright! peace & love. xx