ad•vent (n): arrival that has been awaited (especially of something momentous)
Tonight I took down my Christmas tree. Boxed up my nativity set. Put the twinkly lights back in a knotted mess. Vacuumed the glitter from the carpet.
Yes, it is March. Also nearly five months to the day that I placed these things throughout my living room. I knew that when they went up in November it would be March before they came down. Preparing for and being in Africa took up the better part of the last two months.
Now it is two weeks before Easter. The other advent. Another long awaited piece of the story. I am not sure I am prepared for this one. Without observing Lent this year, it's crept up without much notice. And there is something to be said for preparation [Esther 2:12].