Beauty is all around us, and although our eye is drawn to Beauty, often we are distracted by gimmicky blaring Beauty, instead of quiet pure Beauty.

During the holidays we search for Beauty, for Peace, and for small moments of pure Joy. We are not always consciously aware that we are yearning for these things, as it is easy to get sucked into the bright lights and the loud holiday soundtrack…. but deep inside all of us is the child that recognizes a moment of magic…like when a perfect snowflake lands on our nose and the moment is frozen in time.

This holiday season I have done most of my gift shopping online. When I have had to go into town, I've been just blown away by the intensity of the busy shoppers in the parking lots, cashier lines, and on the road. Then I go back home and breathe a sigh of relief. Wow, holiday shopping options have become so intensely polarized in the last 10 years!

Today was our Winter Solstice (longest night of the year), and the Summer Solstice for our friends Down Under. With the Lunar Eclipse, it seems like a very magical and auspicious time. Every year the commercial frenzy seems to become more intense, and every year the world seems to need a little moment of Magic, a place of quiet and peaceful reflection, and the sharing of Joy… more than ever before.

For those of you celebrating Christmas in a few days, I hope that this week you can slow down and enjoy the season. Perhaps you will catch your breathe as you see the magic in a child's eyes, or maybe you will have a moment of clarity and healing at a midnight service on Christmas Eve.

Do you remember those bumper stickers from many years back, that said "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty"? I think that is what quilters do – we make these incredible gifts of love and beauty – and give them to those in need of comfort. In the end, I think those of us who make and give quilts, benefit more than the recipients.

Every quilt we give away shares a piece of our heart and soul with the world – and makes us more present in our loved one's life. That piece of our heart transcends time, and can continue to give comfort and healing into the distant future.

All of us at eQuilter wish you a beautiful holiday with your loved ones, and we are honored to have shared in the gifts you make and give.