It is hard for me to believe that it is already November and that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This year has certainly gone by quickly; however, I couldn't be happier that we are getting close to the holidays. Some people may dread the holidays if 1) They don't enjoy spending time with their family, 2) They don't have "family." 3) They don't appreciate the holiday shopping season. I, for one, grew up with great memories of spending time with my family. As kids, we were fortunate to have both sets of grandparents living in the same town as us (my mom's parents moved up from California when we were still relatively young). Thanksgiving and Christmas both were times when we all made it a priority to get together. We always spent Christmas morning together as an immediate family and then shared time as one, big extended family (Skinners and Kellys together).
I remember my first year in college...I was a freshman at Pepperdine who was incredibly homesick and not happy with my decision to move to Malibu, California. Fortunately, my dorm neighbor, who is still one of my dearest friends today, happened to be feeling the same way. We made the decision that we just had to get to Christmas, and then things would get better. As a result, we started playing Christmas music in October, and decorated our rooms for Christmas in November. This was a tradition that I carried with me to Cascade when I transferred from Pepperdine.
Now that all of us are grown and that me and my brother are both married, the holidays are a little different than from our childhood, but I still look forward to them each year. I don't usually start playing Christmas music or decorating until after Thanksgiving now, but I still try to get plenty of it in. Last Christmas, since it was the first year that we had every been able to be together for the holidays instead of with our separate families, we spent Christmas Day on our own. This year, I will be able to share the Skinner Christmas traditions with Tim since we will have the opportunity to take more time off from work. My grandmother's health has declined significantly in the last year, and my parents are having to consider nursing home care within the next few months (hopefully after the first of the year), so I feel that it is important to go spend some quality family time with them this year.
It now officially is one of my favorite times of the year. Happy Holidays to you all.
4 comments:
Happy holidays right back to you. I also love this time of the year.
The main problem I have with it is that it comes so fast and leaves even faster. The older I get, the more the whole season rushes by in a blur and I get a little bit of it and miss the other bulk.
I remember as a child that the season lasted *forever*. School would get out and days would stretch into eons, soaked in the joy of Christmastime. Now, we wake up busy, rush around a bit, and realize that tonight's Christmas Eve. Yuck.
The good news is that having kids slows the season down again. Having to take the time to enjoy it, sharing it with little ones like Katelyn who are just learning the joy of the season--that slows everything way down. That, and you move into a creating-joy movement rather than a basking-in-it movement that is more normal to my experience in years past.
Too awesome.
Happy holidays!
I think Jason is trying to convince us to have kids.
I don't think that the holiday argument is working for me. We can spoil other people's children with obnoxious noise-makers for Christmas instead of having that torture placed upon us.
Kori,
My favorite memories are meeting in Hayward at Grandmommie & Granddaddy's house. We would all sleep in the living room and rent movies. Remember us dressing up in your mother's song girl uniforms. That was always fun.
Lesli
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