So long, farewell BHP

Get the scoop on what I'll be up to for the next few months!

This will be my last column for Brentwood Home Page, if the next few months go the way I’ve envisioned them.

I’m not counting on that happening, of course, because the past month has not gone the way I’ve envisioned it.

Everything about this Christmas was unusual. Not tragic, fortunately, just different.

None of my kids had a Big Item they were dying to get for Christmas this year. Therefore, they did not view their Christmas lists with the same urgency that their father and I did. More importantly, they did not understand why their grandparents needed the lists so badly.

As a result, I gave all our good gift ideas to desperate grandparents and wound up still shopping for my own kids on Christmas Eve. Sometimes I felt like I was just shopping so there’d be something under the tree. That is very unusual for me.

All of the Christmas events we enjoy, such as our church youth choir concert, seemed to sneak up on me. They didn’t really take place that much earlier than usual, but my brain wasn’t officially in Christmas gear yet. I was late getting in the game.

I tried to find joy in the preparations this year, but I just felt like I was falling behind. In the midst of all the holiday goings-on, everyday life persisted.

Everything about my routine took longer than usual. I live about a mile from Cool Springs, and more traffic on the roads and longer lines made even a regular trip to fill up the gas tank or the dentist take twice as long.

Why did I schedule a dental checkup during the holidays anyway?

My own closet became Santa’s workshop, so even getting dressed took longer than usual. I’m lucky I pulled out matching shoes from underneath the Amazon boxes and Target bags stuffed in there. Shopping without a list or a plan meant that the UPS man rang my doorbell many more times than is usual. My dog paced and barked so much more than usual that I thought her hair would fall out.

Eventually, thankfully, I started noticing the good stuff. My mailbox was fuller than usual, nearly overflowing with beautiful photo cards of friends and family. Neighbors dropped in more often than usual, sometimes bringing trays of homemade goodies and a few minutes of visiting.

On our way to church on Christmas Eve, I noticed in how many houses along the way the front rooms were lit up. Normally dark living rooms were bright and welcoming, ready to host relatives who don’t usually come by.

My family and I sang more than usual and ate more than usual. I gave out way more hugs than usual, and I didn’t regret one of them.

Everything about this season should be unusual, though. Nothing should be routine. To celebrate such a special event, I had to snap out of my habits and think intentionally about what I was doing. My heart wouldn’t be in it otherwise.

My heart is turning in a new direction that may seem unusual for me. I won’t be writing this column for BHP anymore because I’ve decided to run for a seat on the Brentwood City Commission.

I’ve gotten positive feedback from those I’ve told, and I’m excited about the challenge.

I’ve loved being associated with Brentwood Home Page because it’s been an unusual venture, but one that is long overdue. Brentwood has a lot going on, and it deserves dedicated news coverage.

With Susan and Kelly in charge, I’m sure it won’t be business as usual.