Monday, January 04, 2016

Warmth Light Cheer
























Is it any wonder I was crestfallen and in denial about the end of our winter break? The end of long days, freedom, no more late nights for fun, and late mornings for sleep. The simple fact is: It's all been too much fun to give up! For sanity's sake, I am not going to list all the reasons it's difficult to end a vacation. We know why, right? For the sake of moving forward with some hope and optimism, I will reflect on what we enjoyed and then begin to lay the ground work for as much warmth, light, cheer, celebration, friend gatherings, and engagement in January, February, and March, as we've enjoyed in the last few weeks!

We enjoyed friends coming by, sharing activities, meeting to skate into the New Year with family, and going out for celebrations, too. We enjoyed assembling new toys, playing with friends, even going to school was a welcome treat when it meant caring for the school garden. Cooking favorite dishes, like enchiladas, was good, and bringing home gorgeous school garden veggies was a bonus for all! It's been a happy, healthy, and satisfying break, without hardly anything to do but what we love to do, with the ones we love.

So. I have this intention about making more deliberate choices, being in the moment, having plans, so that even an hour can be meaningful, gratifying, so that we don't go days and weeks without having a sense of wonder, and joyful engagement, so we can connect with friends, and have common goals for good experiences, and fulfilling projects. I've been trying to grasp what it is that makes winter break, Christmas, the holidays feel quite special... and I think it's knowing there are plans in place, traditions to follow, and having so many people in a like mind and purpose. It cannot all be joyful and sparkling; there are always chores, obligations, setbacks, but I think we achieve more, see greater happiness, because we intend to be happy, to feel joy, to make the light. Our expectations are raised, and it seems to generate motivation to facilitate and create delight, exuberance, meaningful contacts and discourse, play.

Balance, optimism, deep breathing... oh yes, my brain is greatly entrenched in some new year reflection and other musings. It's good, right? We try, and try again, to get things right, to do better, to figure it all out. There's something fortunate and valuable in choosing to make things work, trying a new method, accepting that it may be time to reassess how we see the world, or a day, or how we manage our beliefs.

Now, to the dishwasher, and hanging up clothes, feeding chickens. The messier stuff of life, but with happy thoughts of winter break, and things to come...

2 comments:

Alicia said...

LINDAS FOTOS!!!
EL HUERTO PRECIOSO.
SALUDITOS

Jennifer said...

All of this. I am hoping, intending to make the time to write through my thoughts about the winter holidays generally, and Christmas specifically; I have come to realize that these festivities fulfill deep needs in us -- needs to connect, to make merry, to make elaborate preparations and plans -- we need these things and a sanctified reason to do these things, especially at the close of a year. How joyful and beautiful and merry all your doings have seemed to be!