In like a lion

This week is fall break at the law school. No classes or meetings all week, however I do have a few big assignments to complete before next Monday. Today, I am taking it slow and easing into the work. After going non-stop for the past 6 weeks, it's nice to be able to relax...a bit. I'm trying really hard not to stress about the things I need to get done this week...oh man. But in between all of my studying and homework, I'm going to try to catch up on some things I've been meaning to blog about, so you might get more posts from me this week than you did the whole month of September.

Recently I have been doing something that I have never in my life done before. Some of you might find this shocking and/or controversial. I know several of my friends have. But I think I have a good reason.

I have been listening to Christmas music.

Do I know it's October? Yes. Do I know Christmas is still months away? Yes. Am I insane? Possibly, but that is irrelevant.

It started one night when Jonathan and I were driving home from his grandparents house in Mapleton. It was a Sunday. It was dark outside. The drive is kind of long. And we were trying to decide what to listen to. Jonathan asked if we had any Christmas music in the car. I didn't hesitate to say yes, and so we put it in. And it was lovely. We quite enjoyed it. It made us happy. Soon after that, the weather turned cold, and it's been quite chilly. As most of you know, I do not like the cold. I really don't. I would rather it be 115* outside that anything below 70. But I have found Christmas music to be quite distracting. Instead of lamenting the cold weather, I am coping with it, and almost embracing it, by listening to Christmas music 2 months early. And you know what? It really helps. I'm actually a little bit excited for the first snow. Listening to Christmas music reminds me of all the reasons there are to love the cold weather. Hot chocolate, cozying up to a fire, pretty lights, sledding, caroling, parties, family and friends, etc. Plus, I need something more to look forward to instead of finals.

And I was thinking about it this morning, and I feel like I'm not alone. It seems like with the economy being how it is, and with the wars, and natural disasters, and relationship breakdowns and whatever else has been happening, the world needs this Christmas feeling. The world needs to slow down and remember what the important things are in life. People need to realize that there are other people with problems bigger than theirs, and that they can do something about it. People need to remember what it feels like to do something nice for someone else, or to take a moment and think about the real reason we celebrate Christmas and what it means to them and to their families. I think if the Christmas season came a little early this year, it wouldn't be such a bad thing. So do yourself a favor, and go listen to your favorite Christmas song.

And to get you into it, here's one of my favorite Christmas albums from one of my favorite bands, Relient K.

Let It Snow Baby...Let It Rein...