Seasons Greetings

I sip my bright green spinach smoothie while waiting for my cinnamon oatmeal muffins to cool. A normal Saturday morning in the Carlson household. As the end of the year quickly approaches I find myself, like many people, thinking about loved ones, both friends and family. It is a time for reflection and giving. I am not a gifter, though there are times I wish I were. I need to give with time, service, and kind words.

This leads me to this moment...how will I show my friends and family that they are special, even if I have not seen them in a while or those I see every day? Necessity can lead to great creativity.

At morning circle, before the Acorns left for Thanksgiving break, they had the opportunity to share with each other where they were going for the break. This conversation leads to one Acorn sharing how excited she was to see old friends. People she knew when she lived in another country. Another Acorn asked, “If it's been a long time, how will you know them when you see them?” Her beautiful response was, “Oh! I’ll know them!” This made my heart fill up with happiness.

They all continued to talk about friends and knowing them even as they change and grow up. Ms. Brigid told them all that she will see one of her former students, who attends the high school now and she can “just tell” that it's them even when they grow up and even dye their hair. Friendships can be timeless and expressing how special they are to you can look many different ways. 

This brings us back to creativity and how “Mountain Sun” it is to think out of the box when it's time to share. The school has events like community meetings where we share food and time, we also have the Holiday Shop where we share local crafts, student performances where we share our talents, and community events where we show our deep love for this school by giving our time. Using these for inspiration, I grab a still-warm muffin and it hits me… just make it or give a service as a gift.

My day moves along, walking around the house turning on twinkle lights and sipping on hot peppermint tea. I know just what to do for those I will always recognize. I don't always get to see my friends and family since they are all scattered around the country and a few even around the world but my heart will always know them. Find your own way to remember those who are close to your heart and let them know in whatever way fills your own heart with joy.

Written by Janna Carlson