Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Love Thursday, a Tad Early

Since I'll be out of town visiting family in SoCal (don't be a hater) until the day after Christmas, I wanted to leave you with my Love Thursday post. It's long to cover both Thursdays that I will miss. You're welcome.

This Love Thursday, I am celebrating accomplishments.
I love that I am in a place in my heart and mind that I can acknowledge the good things I do and the things I like about myself, as well as reveling in the warm fuzzies that accompany completion of tasks I take on. This isn't something I've ever been able to do, for fear of sounding conceited, tooting my own horn...well, you get the picture.

I completed the "25 Days of Christmas" altered book for my parents-in-law, complete with photos and embellishments, prior to our trip. This is the first book I have done, and while daunting in it's task, I thoroughly enjoyed making this book. I showed it off to friends without a moment of awkwardness or self-criticism. This has been hard to come by for a very long time.

I am tickled and very happy that I was able to carve time out with my kids and bake dozens upon dozens of holiday cookies. This was the first season that I have felt the drive to do this, had the energy to follow through on my promise to bake and been able to have both my kids' participation. This is also the first time that I haven't felt the burning desire to "just do it myself" because it would be faster or less stressful. I truly enjoyed every second of the time I spent creating, tasting, mixing and baking (of course not in that order) with them. They obviously seemed to enjoy themselves as well. I can't help but be certain that this has brought us all a touch closer. Must be that Christmas magic.

When we went to SoCal for Christmas in 2006, I didn't want to waste the time to put up trimmings we wouldn't be around to enjoy. This decision, mixed with the 80 degree California weather (I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong) made it impossible for me to hold onto any Christmas spirit I might have been able to muster in the first place. This year, having realized this mistake, we put the Christmas tree up and it has made a world of difference. Even though it took us three days to finally get the decorations on the tree, we have enjoyed the brilliance of it every moment since. Since I'm such a perfectionist and more than a little anal retentive, I am proud to also recognize that I haven't moved a single ornament that the kids placed an inch apart, or the same color next to each other, or hanging at the very edge of the branch, etc... The surprising, and most important, fact about this accomplishment is that I haven't wanted to.


Yet with all the holiday busyness, the baking, the decorating, the project completing, the playing in the snow and all the normal day-to-day happenings, I was still able to find the time to relax, enjoy myself and just be spontaneously silly.
And for all of these accomplishments that might seem 'normal' or common to others, for me, they have been a constant struggle. I'm not afraid or embarrassed to admit these things. And for that sole reason...I am proud.
My Christmas wish for you: take time out to be silly, stay up late to enjoy those cookies without worrying that your ass will suffer the consequences and just enjoy this time with your families.
See you back here after Christmas. I hope you have the best one yet.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Awww.... Thats all I can say. I'm so happy to hear these words from you!
<3 Jaime