The Holiday Season
It’s been quiet around here I know. The holiday season is part of it, the other is an oddly busy for this time of year work schedule.
Hectic work days aside, I’ve been trying hard to enjoy and savor the holiday season. Thanksgiving was amazing for a million reasons, but mostly because it was relaxing and filled with fun, love, and lots of gratitude. I had to work the day after, but on the Saturday after, my man and I slept late and spent the day being lazy in sweats, watching many episodes of Parks and Rec ( our new TV obsession), eating leftovers, and going to a second feast (clamboil) at my parents which was low key and relaxing too.
At my house we’re embracing the holiday season in full force. The house is decorated (only inside, though there is a wreath on the front door) and I spent last Saturday afternoon watching The Nutcracker on Netflix and doing Christmas cards, though there are still a bunch left to do. My Christmas shopping is almost done, though this year I get a bit of a pass because my brother and his girlfriend are spending the holidays with her family in Minnesota, so I won’t be exchanging gifts with them until New Year’s Day, giving me a bit more time ( and less pressure) to get their shopping done.
And now for a public service announcement haha.
Starting last year, I’ve tried to make an effort in the holiday season to make contributions to places that help out those in need. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I contributed to food drives in a few places and made a basket for a family through the local child and family services organization. Too-small coats have gone to a coat drive at the bank and for Christmas I adopted a family with a one year old little girl to buy some gifts for. I don’t mention this to pat myself on the back, but more because for me, it has made a difference in how I celebrate the holidays. If it wasn’t for my incredible support network, I very well could have been in a bad situation when I was going through my separation and divorce. I’m incredibly thankful and blessed for all that I have, and for years have felt I wasn’t making enough of a contribution back. It’s not huge, but it’s meaningful to me- I hope in the future I’ll be able to make a bigger difference in some other way. I know many people can’t afford to buy anymore gifts for people and are watching budgets, but there are so many little ways to help out during the holidays, whether it’s throwing spare change in the Salvation Army bucket or saying yes to the $1 contribution at the register. My dad made a great point about food drives. This time of year a lot of grocery stores have buy one, get one sales. You can buy one for yourself and then donate the other to the food drive. It’s a small way to pay forward the good fortune that you have in your life.
Life By Kristen 