My Christmas Wish for You

I'm one of those people that started listening to Christmas music before Halloween. I love the holidays, winter, gift giving, Christmas trees. And I LOVE eggnog. This time of year is by far my favorite. It's always been something special to me. Maybe I have my grandma to thank for that. The woman cannot stop her holiday cheer from overflowing and spewing out on every person she knows. Her house is like an elf's tinsel bomb exploded and it's too busy to clean up its mess. When I sit in pajamas sipping peppermint hot chocolate, and I watch snow gather on my window-sill, I'm reminded of evenings spent in her lap, watching Christmas films, singing carols, baking pumpkin rolls. I'm reminded that life is beautiful.

This year, the holiday season found me during a particularly difficult time in my life. Weeks of unmotivated trips to the store and unenthusiastic conversations and gloomy nighttime drives preceded my Thanksgiving visit with my family. I left my computer, ungraded papers, and unavoidable conflicts in my empty Flagstaff townhouse and spent a full week in the White Mountains with the people that know and love me best. Our tradition, like many's, is to decorate the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Because I had to be back in Flagstaff that Friday, we made an exception and busted out the Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton Christmas album a day early. As we all belted out in terrible singing voices and my young cousins hung their ornaments on the fake branches, I let go of the stress and bustle of my life. I didn't set it aside or file it in my "to do later" folder. I just let it go.

This is why I love the holidays so much. It's a time to surround yourself with only the things you love. The things that make you happy. That remind you that life is still beautiful. It's worth living. It's more than simply dealing with stress and busyness and conflict. It's a time when a complete stranger smiles at you as you pass on the sidewalk, and you don't for a second doubt that their happiness is genuine. A time to remember that those who love you are more important than those who don't. A time when thoughtful giving is more rewarding than receiving. A time when letting go is as simple as it sounds.

I wish for you a happy holiday season. I wish for the bright lights at Little America to reflect in your eyes. I wish for the snow to melt off your boots onto the welcome mat. I wish for your shopping to be local. I wish for your giving and receiving to be heartfelt. I wish for your company to laugh until their eyes tear up. I wish for your children to squeal at the sight of the tree in Heritage Square. I wish for your gift in the white elephant exchange to be the best one. I wish for you to have rest and peace in the midst of busy daily obligations. I wish for you to let go of things that aren't worth holding on to.

I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy, happy New Year.