I love the holidays.  Love them.  I love the commerce.  Love it.  I love finding/making special things for my kids and grandkids and hubby and rest of my family.  It isn’t an obligation, it’s an amazing gift given to me to give to them.  I remember the christmas I couldn’t.  Now I can.  And it goes beyond family into the community.  It’s a time for me to remember connection.  Yes, I buy.  A lot.  I save all year to buy for this holiday.  For mine and for those in the community who are where I once was.

I know it isn’t the thing these days to not bewail christmas and spending and eating a lot of well-prepared and delicious food. 

One would think the Puritans still reign.  Perhaps in many ways they do. 

But not in my home.

We have a tree.  A big tree.  And on it go ornaments collected since 1985 and dated.  Each has its story.  Each brings with it grace from the person who gave it to us or from the person to whom I gave it in the family. 

We have twinkly lights. 

We really really help the economy. Which results in a marathon of wrapping by me for under the tree (or on top the table to keep the dogs out of them as the case may be).

And I love every minute of it and I will always love it and I will always particpate in the commerce

, make some gifts by my own hand, visit, share food and drink, remember my community, wait patiently and with good will in lines if I haven’t finished shopping in time, and bless all the other people on the road who don’t have the same attitude as evidenced by their, um, rather erratic driving patterns.  I will remember how blessed I am that I control my own hours and don’t have to squash myself into a lunch hour and a rush to home.

I will build memories with my family and celebrate all our traditions even if they were created 5 minutes ago because Daughter decided this is something “we always do” even if it was just thought of.

I will wrap homemade lollypops husband makes only at holiday time.  And eat his cookies.  And these things that girlfriend calls truffles:  make a cake, break it up, mix in icing, roll into balls.  Freeze overnight.  Next day dip in chocolate.  Go ahead and drool – it is that easy (she tells me) and that good (I tell you!).

I will find time, make it if I must and slow down and enjoy the fact that we have snow.  And we’re going to have more and probably a white christmas.  And we had a red moon last night – a full lunar eclipse of a full moon on Solstice night that happens once every 300+ years and I got to see it in my pajamas at 3a.m.

So may your holidays be merry and bright.  May your family and/or loved ones gather around with you to celebrate traditions that are 5 minutes or 50 years old.  If you are alone, do as Son does since he can’t come home right now:  find others who are alone and cook for them.  Make your own family.

I don’t for one minute regret the commerce because I have the luxury of picking and choosing just how much I want to participate.  And so do you.

Remember the power you have to create the world you want.  May you have it!

Wylde Women’s Wisdom

When we don’t give ourselves permission to be free, we rarely tolerate that freedom in others.  We put them down, make fun of them, ridicule their behaviors, and sometimes shame them.    Brene Brown