It’s that time of year again and, wow …. This year blew by! I hope this post finds you well, and you were able celebrate with your loved ones! I had a lovely Thanksgiving with my family and I am especially grateful my dad, my siblings and I and all of our practically grown kids were all together. Christmas was also wonderful as I was able to spend it at home with loved ones. While New Year’s Eve was quiet, it was welcomed to be able to rest and reflect on the year past and look forward to a new year and a fresh start.
There is an interesting book, The 5 Love Languages, that discusses how everyone has things that they equate with caring and makes them feel special and loved. This may sound like a simple thing but it is important to understand what makes your loved one feel loved! This is especially important at the holidays whether you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas or Kwanza. Selecting the perfect gift for someone is part science and part art and perhaps a bit of intuition. Bear in mind that for some folks, they may prefer an ‘Experience’ or an ‘Act of Service” (doing something kind for them) as their perfect gift. I have been told that people are often suspicious of someone is who is always nice, but kind is often confused for nice. Given all the stress and strife with the pandemic, we all can use some niceness and kindness. Most important of all — a simple gesture of love is often enough! A visit, a hug or just a smile can make a huge difference in someone’s life. With Suicide at its highest rate this time of year, the best gift may be friendship.
My mom used to say that we should celebrate birthdays as that is how we say that we are glad the person was born! I have held onto this saying and believe it is true. What better way of showing love than to celebrate the day someone was born! For Christians, this is celebrating Jesus’s birth. I love hearing about everyone’s special holiday memories and special recipes. No surprise, food is one of my love languages! I hope that you and your family can slow down and carry-on family traditions and recipes. I often make a great coffee cake — it’s not too sweet and the cinnamon streusel is very apropos at the holidays. Please click on the coffee cake link to see the recipe and instructions. It’s an easier cake than you make think.
Every year, the holidays are usually fun, stressful, joyful and lots of other things all rolled into a few hectic months! Often, we are so swept up that it can be hard to see that we are making future memories and we don’t need to be perfect. Our perfectly imperfect holidays are enough! I hope the holidays have brought you what you wished for and may the New Year bring you and yours a refreshing start for your best year yet. And, if we can be grateful and create connections and… learn the life lessons, forgive and love then we can have the best life. Hope 2023 is your best year yet!
