Tis the Season...Atleast I think so..

First, I want to take a second to say the last few weeks have been trying to say the least, but I have realized the strength of family and friends can overcome the worst hurt. I am forever thankful for the people in my life. Thanks to everyone that pushed me forward and continue to do so. I also want people that are having a hard go at it lately that I am also thinking of them and wish only the best. I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This time of year, adults tend to miss the little things that make this time of year so special. Like most of us, I was cursing the snow while shoveling the driveway this week. When did I start hating the snow? Maybe when I became a homeowner or had to travel some distance to work? The first snow fall was so exciting to me as a kid. I remember that smokey cold air that seemed to roll in hours before the first flakes. While watching the news last week prior to the snow fall, I mentioned to Jenn that it was forecasted. Lily got so excited and I probably made some remark about how much of a PIA the snow was. I wish I could redo that moment again and justify her excitement. Next storm, I promise myself that I will get excited with her and hope for enough to go outside and play again. I want to teach her to not let go of that kid she is now when she is my age and when she has children of her own.

I recently wrote about the Elf on a Shelf being a leverage tool. I think I was wrong. Lily looks for "Elfie" every morning as if she is trying to find a friend. She gets excited when she does find her and actually talks to her sometimes as if she was real. She says goodnight to her and next week, it will be hard for her to say goodbye for another year. The belief that she goes back and reports to sant on her behavior is real. It's her personal link to Santa. That certainly doesn't sound like a leverage tool. It sounds like a little girl believing in something magical.

We all complain about shopping for family and friends and want to get it done a quickly as possible. Get in and get out! When we get home, the thought of wrapping everything creates more anxiety. This week, Lily's school had a small store for the kids to bring in some money and pick out little gifts for their family's. I remember doing this when I was her age as well. It was probably the thing I looked forward to the most this time of year. She brought the gift home and ran to the office, closed the door and began trying to wrap her hand picked gifts herself. I could hear her humming Christmas tunes and at the same time getting frustrated with the tape and bows. She carried the wrapped gifts out of that room and placed them under the tree all by herself. The look of accomplishment and seeing how proud she was of herself made my day. I got to see a few of the things she purchased for family members and I could see why she picked them for that specific person. In her mind, she saw the person she was shopping for in the gift. It's not what the gift is, but the reason she picked it for them that will make it a keepsake.

When did we start seeing the holiday season as a burden? What year did the magic disappear for me or yourself? I think the best gift we can give our children this time of year is to justify their excitement and go with it. Don't let age or holiday responsibilities ruin it for them or yourself. Take the time to enjoy the things you work so hard on to prepare. Make memories that your kids can tell their own someday. Give them the ability to see that Christmas time means to you exactly what it means to them for years to come. Merry Christmas to you and yours.