Four Christmases and a Funeral

We’re still in the thick of Christmas season. No, it hasn’t ended yet. We’ve done four family Christmases (and a couple of friend versions), and have two more to go. As much as I love Christmas, I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to reclaim my living room from our 8 or 9 foot tree, and clear festive knickknacks from my countertops. All of the running around has thrown my family out of whack and we’re all tired and snippy and in need of some relaxing time at home. The kids’ toy piles have multiplied beyond reason and my list of returns and exchanges has become overwhelming.

In the midst of all of the holiday festivities, I received some sad news. A long-time friend of my parents, and the mother of one of my closest high school friends, passed away just before the new year. I hadn’t seen her, or her son, in quite some time, but I attended the wake to pay my respects to the family. As expected, it was hard… hard to see the family in so much pain and hard to know what to say and do. On the other hand, she had been married to her husband for 53 years and had led a very full life. She had touched so many people and was well loved by her friends and extensive family. I hope that when it’s my time to go, I leave behind so many wonderful memories.

As we head into the new year, I’m working hard to appreciate the life I have, especially my husband and kids. I’m finding it so difficult, as life whizzes by, to slow down enough and relax enough to really enjoy my family, my hobbies, and just life in general. Because we started our family a bit later in life, I have plenty of fantastic memories and experiences of my own as a single person. I want to share amazing experiences with my children. I am learning to balance that desire with my responsibility to take care of their basic needs and my own. And, I’m hoping that our new daycare arrangement gives me more patience, more time, more money and a happier and healthier household.