Joy in the wee hours of the morning

I'm so tired, but I can't sleep.... I'm pretty sure that's a line from a song. I just feel sort of rife with excitement right now. I feel much how I did when I was four years old and it was December 23, I believe, and my family and I were preparing to fly to Pittsburgh, I think, to then drive up to New York where we would visit my grandparents. I remember opening one present before we left for the airport the next morning. It was a Cabbage Patch doll and I named her Emily or something like that.

I just remember the colored lights of the tree sparkling--the night held such an aura of mystery. For some reason, it's one of my favorite memories...opening the gift I had anticipated and then hardly being able to contain myself in anticipation for the trip.

I feel like that now, at 26 years old, mesmerized by the colored holiday lights out on our front porch, having just received such a gift of joy at having celebrated my husband's 30th birthday tonight with lots of dear friends, coupled with the anticipation of flying back to the Midwest Tuesday. We were told that a blanket of snow awaits us. Oh, and a puppy. My parents got a golden retriever puppy a month ago who will be accompanying my parents in the car as they come to pick us up in Chicago.

I feel really blessed right now, and that's why it's hard to sleep: it's like I don't really want to miss life by going to bed. It's good to feel joy over the simple things.
Thank you, God, for that, because I must say in the same breath that there is also so much sorrow in the world. So I want to take this moment to mark down in time that I am joyful and thankful. Papers are turned into school, we just had a great party, and it's the Christmas season!