God bless the travelers

I’m pretty sure I know exactly how Balthazar’s mother felt when he packed up his frankincense and headed west for the holidays.

She probably watched him mosey off with his over-packed camel and wished hard on the star he followed, for good weather, kind strangers and swift passage home.

In the more than 2,000 years since, mothers all over the world have been looking up at the same sky and offering the same wish.

I’m making it today.

God bless the travelers and the vehicles that carry them. May their planes fly safe, and their roads stay clear. May they make their connections and touch down on time.

I have people flying in from coast to coast and I’d like them to get here today, in plenty of time for them to run my last minute errands and shovel the driveway, for auld lang syne.

Every year around this time, as I track airplanes and refresh my weather.com page, I think about how Balthazar and his Magi buddies arrived for Christmas 12 days after the big event. 

That won’t do.

I need my people here and I want your people home with you. I want my family to fill a whole pew at Christmas Eve mass and I want my living room bursting with happy people on Christmas morning.

But, we’re all going to need a little luck, some blue skies, attentive drivers, efficient gate agents, and wily passengers.

Here’s hoping we all enjoy a safe holiday weekend with our family and friends.

Merry Christmas! May your days be merry and bright and may all our travelers arrive on their scheduled flight.