Looking Back
I remember as a child it seemed like Christmas would take FOREVER to arrive. I see you there nodding your head! I’m not alone in this! Little has changed since then, at least not for me. The self-induced drama of looking forward to giving presents (and yes, receiving too) , the delicious foods, and seeing friends and family is still very much a part of Christmas for me. The only difference is the last few days seem to fly by in a mad rush to finish wrapping, baking, visiting, and all the other fun things associated with the holidays. I was good this year and was finished shopping well in advance. Wrapping…. well not so much. But I got it done, I had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. I hope everyone reading this did as well.
What really seems different to me this year, is the rush to be finished with Christmas. Already the streets around my town have the trees waiting to be picked up for recycling. Fewer outdoor lights are on at night. I know many have had a difficult year, and many are concerned about the year to come. But in my little world, that just means I want to hold on to the joy, the light and the spirit of Christmas that much more.
Looking Forward
I often have a hard time looking back on the year at this time. I know it’s the time for Top 10 lists, Best of ____ and so forth but it’s hard for me to settle down and do that. Maybe I should reflect a bit more, but I’m usually ready to put up a new calendar and get going on all my crazy ideas for the upcoming year. And I DO have some crazy ideas! The days are getting longer, which makes me feel like there’s a bit more time in the day and I might just accomplish more than I did yesterday. While the holidays are wonderful, I also like that there’s less distractions and commercialism in January. At least until we get bombarded with pink and red.
A couple days ago a woman at my gym had a t-shirt that said “Hard Times Always Lead to Great Things”. I love that. Challenges DO mean opportunities. Let’s all go and make the best of them!
Happy New Year everyone!
