As usual, in the end it all happened way too quickly again. At first it all seemed so far away, but then suddenly it was Christmas Eve and the celebrations were in full swing.

Well, although there wasn't quite as much hustle and bustle here at home, it was significantly more than in most of the houses around us. Christmas may not be the most important of all holidays here in Japan, but we still managed to create a little festive atmosphere.

And on top of that, there was a lot of excitement, cheer and laughter around me today. I could also clearly hear the beating of little children's hearts, which sounds at least as sweet as the ringing of Christmas bells.

Fortunately, I was able to shovel Christmas Day off and had a little peace and quiet and was off from work. Not completely, but enough to enjoy the day in our small family setting.

Tomorrow I'll get right back to work in the morning before I can almost draw a line under the working year when I come back home in the evening. There will still be a little bit to do in the days that follow, but I'll manage that easily. Before I have a little more time to rest myself.

But it's still Christmas. And I've decided that for us it will be Christmas all week.

Why end such a wonderful occasion so early? That's right, there's really no reason not to prolong the festive season a little longer. Even though the big show might be over, we will hold on to this special atmosphere for a while and enjoy and rejoice in it. I'm sure it will do us a lot of good.

And I wish you all of you out there a Merry Christmas! Let's enjoy these special days, whether alone, as a couple or in a larger group of friends or family. Let's find a little time to reflect on the things that really matter. We all need a little more love and joy in our lives.

Merry Christmas everyone!