Pondering

Christmas time usually finds me trying to get the last minute gifts in the mail, or cleaning house because the relatives are coming over, or trying to find the secret recipe for my mother's sour cream and cream cheese mashed potatoes, but one way or another, it is always a busy time. That's a shame.

This year, for the first time in a decade or so, I will not be working the days between Christmas and New Years. I have a lot of fence to put up, but I will take a day this week and saddle up my horse to take a ride. Just for the time to think.

Its a tradition I have been unable to keep up with over the years but I always try to sneak off from the family and busyness of the holidays to be alone and just do a little thinking. There is no better place to do that than in the saddle. The rhythmic pattern of the hoofs hitting the ground and the sway of you body as you keep time with the motion of the horse is almost hypnotic. In my youth I pondered a great many things on the back of a horse, some important, some trivial, but I always came away with a clear understanding of my situation, even if I didn't know the answer to my problem by the time I unsaddled my horse and was heading back to the house.

If you get a chance this holiday season to get away from the crowd for a little while, I would suggest you ponder something. It doesn't have to be the meaning of your life or how did you get where you are, but those are ok. A ponder that I like to unpack this time of year is to try and remember what I was pondering last year.

I try to remember what I was going to accomplish and reflect on what I did do and what I still need to do. Wasn't this the year I was going to make a difference in my family's spiritual life? Wasn't I going to become more active in my church? Wasn't I going to make this year a special year for my wife and our marriage? Wasn't I going to show more patience and not be so critical with my kids?

I think I did ok with some of those and I have a long way to go on others.That is a lot to ponder.

It may take a few rides.