It is three days until Christmas. There is so much to do but I thought I would give you some preparations for the day that possibly you haven’t thought about.

First of all, make sure you call your chimney sweep. We want that chimney to be spic and span so Santa doesn’t get all smudgy with soot. After all he has to visit many, many boys and girls and you certainly don’t want the soot tracked all over your living room do you? I know it is too late for this year but perhaps next year you might want to look into some kind of liner for your chimney that is slippery like a slide in the park. It would be easier for Santa if he could just slide down the chimney without worrying about getting stuck.

Next, make sure you have milk and cookies ready for Santa when he slides down that chimney. I would advise tofu cookies or something very low in fat and calories because Santa has to get back up that chimney. In fact, he has to get up and down many chimneys so a gain of an ounce or two might make a difference if the chimney isn’t lined like a slide.

We always forget about Rudolph and the reindeers. They have to pull Santa and all that weight of the presents and toys. We tend to forget that they probably need some fuel in their bellies too so they can be strong for the long journey. If you can, climb up onto the roof and leave them something for their bellies. This also insures that they won’t eat your Christmas lights. Just make sure you don’t slide down off of that slippery slope of a roof. Santa doesn’t want to bring you crutches.

It would be nice to also leave a thank you card for Santa and also a card to send back to the elves. After all, they make all those toys for the good little girls and boys.

I have one last suggestion for greeting Santa in your home on Christmas Eve. Please do not leave the fireplace lit. You might injure Santa and he could not continue on his journey. Think about all the disappointed girls and boys and it would be your fault, so no fire in the chimney!

It is three days before Christmas. What are we really thinking about three days before Christmas? Are we stressing out because we haven’t got our Christmas cards done? Do we know what we are going to feed all that company? If we are alone have we thought about who might join us on Christmas day? Are we worried because we have no decorations up? What about presents for all of those that we love? There is no time and there is so much to do?

I must admit I have been stressing out about all of those things. I don’t have my Christmas cards done. I only have a tree up but no ornaments on the tree. I have not been shopping and bought any presents. I have many presents to make. There are only three days until Christmas!

As I was looking over my stress list I also thought about all of my blessings of the year. There have been many. There have also been some trials but there were good conclusions to those trials. It occurs to me that the only thing I should be stressing out about is when I am going to go to church on Christmas. I should be thinking about the real reason for Christmas and the little child that was born in a manger on that day. My granddaughter shares a birthday with Jesus and she thinks that is very special.

Does it matter if none of my friends and family receives a card from me by Christmas? I could do a couple of cards a month throughout the year, less stress. Will they boot me out of the family because they didn’t receive a Christmas card? Does it matter if my house is not brightly lit at the right time? I can always leave my decorations up longer if I want to enjoy them. Does it matter if I don’t knock myself out at the stores in search of the perfect Christmas gifts that will be tossed away in a few years or even sooner? My family has already told me they need nothing. So why am I giving myself all of this stress?

I gave you tips for Santa visiting. Maybe those instructions should read something like this: Take time to sip a cup of tea by the fireplace this holiday season. (I would have coffee but sipping tea by the fire sounded better.) Take time to list your blessings. Take time to read the Christmas story but as you are reading please do not eat Santa’s cookies. Take time to breathe and appreciate the days. Your loved ones love you because you are you and not because of all the presents you can give them or all the cards they receive. The only one that will feel guilty if all does not get done is you.

The last tip I can give you is to believe. Believe. Keep the child in your heart so you can experience the wonder of Christmas. Keep the child in your heart so you can experience the wonder of the birth of a baby. Keep the child in your heart and leave out the milk and the cookies for Santa. Merry Christmas.

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.” — Editorial in the New York Sun, 1897, responding to a letter from 8-year-old Virgina O’Hanlon

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send e-mail to her at thecolumn@bevcomm.net.