monday's mulling: 'tis the season

I am still full from Thanksgiving and now we're rolling into Christmas cookie season. 'Tis the season for food, food, and more food. And you know what? I'll accept and appreciate the gifts of food that friends and neighbors give. They're gifts from the heart, something they took time to make, maybe sharing Grandma's fabulous sugar cookies or popcorn balls tinted with red or green food coloring. What I have come to appreciate more than the physical gift is the visit that comes along with it. Even if it's just a quick chat, the face-to-face conversation, that personal touch brings a sense of connection, of grounding, of genuine care, and in the big picture, we all need to know that we are loved.