For the Person Asking “Why Even Bother Celebrating Christmas?”
For many of us, when things don’t go the way we want, our first response is, “What’s the point?” Why should we continue with our plans if they can’t happen the way we want them to? Why should we even bother? Since buying our house earlier this year, in the middle of COVID, I’ve been tempted to think this way many times. Only for all of us, this defeatist attitude stems not from our plans being changed. Rather it is our desires that drove us to make our plans in the first place. My struggle to keep from throwing in [...]
On Wanting Christmas to Make Everything Better
For many, Christmas came early this year. By that I mean, even some of my die hard “Christmas doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving” friends, were decorating their tree the first week of November. Like in The Holderness Family video, we’ve all wanted to believe “Christmas will make everything better.” A little red and green comfort decorated with twinkle lights, feels like a balm on the ache that has been this season. Only now that we’re officially into December, even Christmas is feeling different this year. So many of us are having to let go of our usual traditions and even [...]
2020 Christmas Gift Guide
One December Saturday, when I was in ninth or tenth grade, my parents decided to take me and my sisters into Boston. Having both grown up just outside the city, they wanted to share a part of their childhood holiday experience with us. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas memories. Just as the sun began to fade that afternoon, we watched the Christmas lights begin to color the city streets. That day, we saw The Enchanted Village, found a place for lunch with the biggest slices of pizza I’d ever seen, and window shopped through downtown Boston, admiring all [...]
Practicing Gratitude In The Midst Of What Can’t Be
There are times in life when we get to be deliriously happy. As a kid, for me, this looked like our Grampa spontaneously taking us out for ice cream. Waking up to our mom baking blueberry muffins. And running down the beach with our cousins. For some reason, it doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. It doesn’t take much to experience complete joy as a kid. Though as adults, we too, have our own spectacular moments. For me, this happiness has looked like riding a train through the country side of India. The night Tony told [...]
My Favorite Thanksgiving Links 2020
I know, I know—I said last week, that there’d be no more Thursday posts. But as we’re all getting ready for a tougher-than-most holiday season, I thought I’d share an updated list of all my favorite Thanksgiving Links to get us through this week! As I have shared before, hands down, fall is my favorite season. Give me the chunky sweaters, all the flannel, the apple picking, and the pumpkin flavored (almost) anything—I am here for it. Though many people think Halloween is the best fall holiday, Thanksgiving is my favorite. But this holiday that also typically offers an extra [...]
When It All Gets Too Much
This week, I hate rainy days. It could be because after coming home from visiting my family, and doing some big house projects with Tony, everything slowed down. Then last Wednesday and Thursday, it rained making the world feel like a very dark place. Bad thoughts always seem to know when to come knocking. Bad thoughts always seem to know when to come knocking. Heavy, painful feelings bubble up when there’s nothing holding them down. And all of us have seasons when we actually don’t want things to let up, because we’re afraid of what will happen when we finally [...]
