Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Mele Kaliki LLAMA!
I haven’t been filling the internet here as much as I’d hoped this month. I had visions of sugar plums holiday-inspired treats and craftsy stuff on the brain, but the crafts and treats always succumb to the realities of December living… Which, to be completely honest… while it was busy in the ways we humans tend to make the holiday season busy… I also just decided to, in the words of Esla – Let It Go.
I do feel a bit of mom-guilt we didn’t make our traditional peanut butter balls and smores bars… we never did decorate that gingerbread village either. But I got MOST of my cards out, all the presents mailed in time, went on our annual trip to Seattle to enjoy the season feeling downtown…with dear friends to boot *insert heart emoticon here*
I say all that to say… it was an effort to drop the outter doings to make room for the doings that centered around family, friends, and community. That evening in Seattle was such a precious time with friends. Actually, that family IS family to us.
This month we also enjoyed some bonfire/Christmas ship watching time with other friends.
Took some time for my guy to jam with his people at one of the local breweries the evening before we needed to be up and leave for the airport at 2 a.m….
We hosted more sleepovers and kid white elephant gift exchanges than any December has ever known, made twice as many sugar cookies to decorate, we experienced my daughter’s first gymnastics meet, choir and band concerts, and I got to spend an entire school day at the middle school making sure trays were filled with an assortment of cookies (over 30 parents brought over 110 dozen!!!) for the staff to take and enjoy before the winter break began…
…aaaand I went on a date with my guy for our 22nd anniversary.
Oh, and every single one of us has cycled through being sick.
It’d been full. It’s been wonderful. It’s had it’s ups and downs.
Including the sudden and tragic demise of the cheap car we bought for our teenage drivers in July It blew it’s engine and that cheap car turned into one expensive 4.5 month rental. *insert anguished and dollar sign face here* *and also sobing*
But then again, I am typing this in the breeze of an early Hawaiian morning. On my pation… overlooking a parking lot, but it’s a Hawaiian breeze so it feels magical. My in-laws arrive later today and we will join them to embrace the remaining days of the year.
Through all these words and tales of doing things that make my life rich and busy and full… my heart aches. It aches for those who have lost. For those who struggle – be it financially or within. Or struggle with family, or health. There are so many around me who are hurting today. People I know this holiday season leaves them only in greater grief… They can’t even THINK about the to-dos as this season is all about making it to the next day. Or even just the next hour.
So I guess I want to wrap this up by recognizing the pain that can be so much greater for so many in this season. In the midst of all the garland and frosting and wrapping, I want to be mindful of the hurting. The lonely. I want to celebrate my little family and our blessings and embrace this fleeting season of us… I also fill my heart with prayers and quiet acts of compassion for those experiencing a very different holiday season, and I hope each of us will be doing the same.
So.
Merry Christmas… and all the rest. I’m going to be quiet for the next week or so here as I soak up my family. We are once-in-a-lifetime-ing it in Hawaii. My oldest has 1.5 years left of school, and before life takes off in a crazy new direction for my family – I want to stop time for a bit.
Be well. Be kind. Hugs. Love. Peace. Sparkles. And… Mele Kalikimaka (or llama).
