Holiday Season

 

This year the holidays came barreling through November, full speed into December and now we are at the end of 2023. And in all honesty, I am not at all disappointed by the rate of which time is flying by this holiday season. I may sound like a scrooge but I honestly don’t care.  Once the solstice and Christmas passes, the days start to get lighter and that in and of itself makes me much happier than the chaotic and archaic holidays.

I grew up celebrating Hanukah and while that was a special time in our family growing up, it has changed in meaning for me. I look at the holiday more symbolically not as much literally as I did as a child. When we get together with our cousins for Hanukah dinner, the memories we make are meaningful and it allows the girls to bond further with family. I appreciate that. To me the time together; the breaking of bread, sharing of laugher and joining in for games; that makes the holiday time most special.

Christmas is new to me, even after almost twenty years in a marriage with a family that celebrates. In all honestly, despite my frequent grumbling, I truly have come to enjoy spending time with family during Christmas. Each year Don puts up a tree, we get out the on ornaments, with their memories of different times in our family history and it bring happy thoughts. The lights make the house festive. There is an energy, a buzz that bounces around and a giddiness when Rosalee does her funny little stints in the days leading up to Christmas.

It is easy to get caught up in the material frenzy that has sadly become what most of the world thinks this holiday is about. I have worked hard to remind our family that the season is about the message of Yeshua; which is about being kind, non judgmental, giving not receiving and living ones truth, despite the pressures for the powers in charge of the masses. These messages get lost sometimes, even by myself but as the girls get older and have a better understanding of life, they are starting to realize what really matters and the importance of gift giving as an extension of love and meaning. Sometime frivolous is good too, in moderation of course.

These are the photos of our Christmas and our Hanukkah. And this year, there was a much more relaxed and calm energy, which was most welcome and enjoyable.