Christmas Eve Musings

Right now I'm sitting in my dining room next to the Christmas tree, listening to Christmas Gregorian chants playing quietly in the background. Soon I'll be watching It's a Wonderful Life with my family while eating popcorn. But right now I wanted to sit down and type.
It's been a long semester. It's been filled with school, with extracurriculars, with college applications, with stress. But with Christmas here, I've been able to relax. To forget about some of the things that have been stressing me all semester. For me, Christmas has always been a time to take a break from the long year and just relax. It's often a haven in a sea of the year. And in that respect it hasn't been any different.
However, it has been different in some ways: I'm using this Christmas season to prepare myself for the last semester of high school. And I'm using it to be thankful for the little things. I suppose you could say that that has been the theme of this Christmas season for me. It's been all about little things:
My favorite Christmas song coming on the radio while I'm driving to Starbucks.
Finding the perfect Christmas present for someone.
Spending time with my closest friends.

Watching glitter gleam in the shine of Christmas lights.

Making fudge and candy.

Dancing with my favorite person.

Wearing red lipstick.
Talking to my best friends before watching The Hobbit.
Cuddling up on the couch with a blanket to watch a movie.
Snuggling in blankets with my cousin watching one of our favorite TV shows late at night.
Walking around in an abandoned barn.

Being reminded of my favorite things.
Perfectly wrapping a present or fluffing up tissue paper in a bag just right.
Simply having best friends.

Carefully unwrapping a present.
Going shopping and singing along with the radio while walking around in the cold.
Sitting in Starbucks on Christmas Eve, drinking chai, reading The Fellowship of the Ring.
The sheer, bare beauty of winter.

It has really been all about the little things in life. But isn't that what life really is? A conglomeration of little things fit together in a perfect puzzle of life?
Although we talk about the "big" things that happen in our life, and although those big things are important, our life consists of these little things. These every day beauties that pop up all around us. And even the big things come about because of the normal things that occur day to day.
The little things of this season have been everything about this season. Although it hasn't been a terribly eventful Christmas season, the little things have made it all that it is. It really has been a beautiful season, thanks to the little things, family, and incredible friends who have filled it.