That's is what I am going to do this year...I am going to find the JOY...once again in the holidays. After posting last week about Finding Inspiration for the Holidays, I decided that I didn't want to make any more excuses about NOT finding any joy in our holidays. So what if I can't get out my Christmas decorations because my storage is so full at this point. So whatif I live in a tiny house now and really don't have room to put up a big, traditional tree. So what if no one comes to stay with us anymore for the holidays...I just want to STOP being a Scrooge and BAH-Humbugging everyone!
It's been a pattern for the past few years that I really don't like! The bad attitude all really began when we bought our vacation home in Pawley's Island, SC...which was over a decade ago...ugh! Winter was always tough because vacation rentals were slow and come January we always had to pay big taxes and membership fees. So DH and I decided that we didn't need to buy each other loads of gifts (that we really didn't need) for the holidays since we essentially were demonstrating our appreciation for one another every time we paid a mortgage payment for our vacation home. Soon, we found ourselves also putting off celebrating our anniversary on it's actual date of New Year's Eve. We would make excuses, that it really didn't matter, and once our finances were better, we would go away for a romantic weekend. Which our work schedules often put off until the Spring ;}
THEN we were selling our home during the holidays one year and the realtor strongly suggested that we go easy on the holiday decor so that the house would show better...hence the establishment of the tiny booze tree...lol Once we moved into the BIG house, our youngest soon went off to college and holiday breaks were split between our house and his girlfriend's family. ADD to that...the fact that I had a very stressful job that had me commuting over 2-hours a day at the time...and you can somewhat understand my hopelessly drained, holiday spirit!
ALL of this was soon followed by us downsizing our home {two more times :} and moving three hours away from our core family home of Charlotte. All of which was also predicated by my youngest son moving out of state to Pennsylvania to start his new life {with his new wife ;} and career. Shortly after which, my niece and her DH followed their dreams, as they also moved across the country to live and work in Burbank, California. So needless to say...it's been tough for all of us to get together and to enjoy the holidays like we use to.
Which means that I need to find a new way to bring back the JOY to our holidays and I'm starting the only way I know how...with a journal or holiday album...that has been totally inspired by Ali Edwards and her December Daily 2011 project.
December Dailyis an album project that documents the 25 days leading up to Christmas. Ali has been completing these albums for her family for many years now and what really works for her is to construct a basic album in advance of December so that during the holidays she can "enjoy the season & enjoy the process of documenting her days without having to be putting the entire thing together at the same time". Ali generously offers all sorts of FREE information and inspiration in how you too can create an album and enjoy the season as well.
However, do not feel that it is TOO late for you to join it! You do not have to havea pre-decorated album to get started. What you do need is a little motivation and a method to start documenting your feelings and observations. Grab a blank book, an old journal, sketch book, composition book...a three ring binder...or simply start a BLOG if that works for you ;}
comments welcome