Dec. 5, 2018
From Lisa
My eldest daughter hates Christmas! Yes, you heard me, she hates this time of year. To her it brings great anxiety, tons of obligations, unnatural pleasantries and the ever haunting reminder of childhood losses. For me, Christmas has always been an amazing time of year, filled with great joy, music, lights, pageantry, and a reminder of my faith. But this year, I have decided to look at it through the eyes of my daughter, to see that this is not always an easy time. Over the past several years, we have personally experienced great loss in this season and with that comes a heavy feeling… a feeling that something is missing or just not right.
In respect to these feelings I am trying something new. I have dialed back the decorations and the multitude of planned activities. I have alerted the family that the theme for this year is “simplicity”, giving each of them a say in what we do and when we share time together. Whether it is a game night with some of the family or a hiking trip with others; a day at the dog park or baking cookies in the kitchen; a walk through the neighborhood to look at lights or a family craft. This year we will focus on simple activities that allow us to enjoy and appreciate each other and give us time to really connect. No dressing up. No big meals. No mandatory gift giving. Just time. Simple time together. Time to reflect and appreciate those in our lives. Time to laugh, love and share. Time to just be.
Get More Happy 