Subscribe via RSSWednesday, December 23rd, 2009
The Holidays come and go so quickly and yet its almost as if time slows to stall as we prepare for the family to converge together for the Holiday gathering. The uncertainty looms as we considered who would Aunt Nelly show up with…or will little Theodore bring his tattooed girlfriend to meet everyone this year?
It’s always the new ones that get scrutinized the hardest and over time we watch those strangers become family members or family members become strangers and our children become the party givers instead of the party crashers. It usually takes the first Holiday Season to see how well the newbie’s will fair. Holidays have a way of bringing out our best intentions but certainly it is the fall out that creates our dysfunctional bliss.
When it comes down to it…Do you ask the girlfriend to bring something or boyfriend to take out the garbage? How about after dinner, when Grandpa is handing out the snifters of brandy and cigars gathering around the card table, dare say, do you expect the boys in the garage would calm themselves after the Fantasy Football dispute and tear themselves away from the television? Or, when you can’t get the Guitar Hero out of the hands of your kids grandmother so that the kids can play…do you say something? It never quite goes as we imagine it to.
I decided many years back that my version of holidays would be to provide a place where the strays and not so strays can come in, get something hot to eat and cold to drink and leave when they’ve had their fill of the craziness. Less expectation is a good recipe for less stress in my holiday cookbook.
I was fortunate to have members of my FantaSea family join my daughter and I for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was a great cocktail of hardy laughter and impromptu naps on the couch after an ample dose of deep fried turkey. Never a dull moment when you have a bunch of party planners in one room, add a dash of champagne and the spirits come out to play.
This Christmas season the discussion of my daughters pending FantaSea nuptuals resonates between she and I, as we find ourselves planning a trip to Mt. Shasta with her and my future son-in-law for the holidays. This is not a weekend visit, not a dinner at Grams, this is a week of snow of heavy coats all cozied up in a small cabin.
I’m feeling that this will be a special time for all of us and yet I’m sure there could be moments when I want to scream, laugh and perhaps cry, tears of laughter never hurts the soul. I’m looking forward to shedding the day-to-day stress and just relaxing, taking the time to have fun with the kids. So lets give ourselves a good reason to relax this holiday season, take a little time for yourself and keep that fire within burning. Smile at the little things and hold on to the meaning of giving and loving during the holidays.
My holiday wish to you: sit back and enjoy the show, next year will be here soon enough. Here is to your reason to relax over the holidays, you deserve it!
Cheers!
