It’s that time of year again – although I don’t need to remind any of you who have children, or who watch television, or who shop; (although, since the Christmas decorations debuted sometime before the Halloween candy went on half-price, it’s getting harder to tell when Christmas finally arrives…)

The hustle and bustle build to a fever pitch as everyone tries to out-gift whatever they did last year. Many of us are feeling buried under “stuff” even before we unwrap (and wonder where we’re going to store) the large packages under the tree.

One of my favorite things on any night was going to the barn to do night check and hearing the contented munching as the horses  worked through their haynets. On Christmas Eve, it was even more special as I thought about that manger a couple of thousand years ago, and about the magic tales told of the animals talking at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Alban Arthan,or another day, we have a universal desire to find peace on earth.

And in the barn on those magical Christmas Eves, I heard, in every soft sigh the peace on earth we’re all looking for. It’s here, you just need to stand still long enough and quietly enough for it to find you.