Learning to Adjust the Route
Some seasons don’t unfold the way we picture them. This Christmas season was one of those for me.
A bout of shingles slowed me down and quietly erased a few plans I was looking forward to… Christmas at the Valley, a visit to Luckett’s Store in Leesburg, VA, a handful of December traditions I thought were locked in. Nothing dramatic. Just life doing what it does best: revising the schedule.
Still, something beautiful showed up.
Being slowed down allowed me to decorate my home at a slower pace, savoring each decoration, and also realizing I may be due for a little clearing out as much as bringing in.
Every year, I try to attend Christmas at the Valley, but this year I watched via live stream from home, the music filling the room, the candles glowing on my screen. I missed being in the church for the candle lighting, but the reverence and beauty of it still reached me, and I was grateful for that.
By the time you’re reading this, I will have been on the road to Norfolk, taking the long way south along the Eastern Shore, stopping overnight in Chincoteague, and letting the journey unfold at its own pace. A reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do… especially during the Christmas season… is slow down, adjust the route, and allow what unfolds to be enough.
As this post goes live, Christmas has just passed, and I’m spending it with my son and our family in his new home. That, in itself, feels like a gift… one that doesn’t require perfect health, packed calendars, or checking every box on a holiday wish list.
The season didn’t look exactly how I planned.
But it still gave me what I needed.
And that feels like the right way to step into whatever comes next.
I hope you found joy in whatever “route” unfolded for you this Christmas. Now on to a brand new year!
A season of stillness… and the quiet promise of what comes next. Winter Solstice 2024; Lake Harmony, PA
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Hi, I’m Marjorie.
I’m a photographer, writer, and lifelong collector of stories… the kind you find tucked inside small towns, old buildings, and the things we choose to keep.
Through Destination Main Street and The Bungalow Diaries, I share the beauty of nostalgia, the joy of travel, and the art of noticing what’s worth preserving.
I’m so glad you stopped by. I hope you’ll linger a while, explore a few more stories, and find a little inspiration to slow down and remember what matters most.
