Old Wooden Train, charcoal & conte sketch on paper

On the ninth day of Christmas sketches…

Slow as molasses. This phrase has NEVER been used to describe me.

I’m a busy lady, like those “9 Ladies Dancing,” and I like to get things checked off the list and done ASAP. On the go, that’s me.

It’s early morning and I am (shockingly) awake. It’s quiet and dark, and I hear a Birmingham train whistling in the distance…the world is slow and sleepy. My cats are stretching, the neighborhood is still. An important piece to my Christmas journey has floated into my thoughts:

take it slow.

There are so many wonderful things we like to do at Christmas: the carousel at the mall, Zoolight Safari at the zoo, advent calendar activities, visiting Santa, watching all our Christmas movies, making S’mores on the fire; we thought about taking a quick trip to Atlanta or Nashville.

All those activities are fun, but too much fun is just too much. We’ve resolved to take this Christmas slowly…

do less, enjoy more.

I can already breathe easier, as the sun begins to rise and the sky begins to lighten. Longer hugs, slower S’more roasting sessions, less rushing, less fussing, more peace, less pressure.

We’re taking the slow train this Christmas, and enjoying the view.

9 Ladies Dancing