By Ronnie Michel

“Is that all?” my husband Michael asked after he stored the last of the plastic bins stuffed with Christmas decorations in the attic. It’s quite possible that I overdecorate. No longer with the canvas of a first-grade classroom, I fill my home with seasonal items. My family doesn’t complain. Not even Michael, who is tasked with retrieving and returning the décor to the attic.

“Oh, no,” I said. “If this year is like every one prior, I’ll find what I missed in a few days.”

It didn’t take a few days, but a few hours. I sat on the sofa, looked to the sunroom, and saw a Santa wreath smiling at me. The next day, my granddaughter Emma Kate found a plastic train, pressed a button and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” began to play. A couple of days later, I went to enter the guest room to clean and almost ran into the green fir wreath on the door.

How did I miss those things? None of them were hidden, just overlooked.

What else am I ignoring? How much do I thoughtlessly pass by? I lingered in that thought and made a list.

A house that’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Freedom to worship in the church of my choice. Family I communicate with often. Grandchildren I see frequently. Friends to walk with around the neighborhood each morning, and through life with the rest of the day. Food and clothes and comfortable furniture…

Is that all? Oh, no. I’ll think of what I missed in a few moments.

Ronny can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.