Every year the holiday season starts earlier and earlier
and with it so do the stresses that come with it.
Artist Mitchell Grafton | Grafton Pottery
The two best Christmas seasons in my life were 1981 & 1983.
In 1981 I had just gone from a two income household to a one income household at the same time I stepped into the world of being a single parent. Needless to say I was barely keeping the bills paid. So I had to get creative. I made almost all my gifts from scratch in my kitchen… home made Boursoin, quart jars of marinated mushrooms & large loaves of holiday bread. I was so grateful to even be able to do this and more than any other year I truly felt the joy and humility of gift giving in the holiday spirit.
In 1983 I had moved to a new town and new house and expected to celebrate the holiday alone… Joint custody holiday rules applied that year. My Parents drove in one of the worst blizzards in history, dumping more than 3 feet of snow, from Maine to Massachusetts, so I would not be alone. That was also the year my great dane ate all the painstakingly baked and decorated Christmas cookies off our Christmas tree with out disturbing the tree and left the strings hanging where the cookies once hung. Their heartfelt love and generosity that I felt that season has yet to be surpassed.
Artist Jack Storms | Storms Fine Art
As we head into the week ahead, are you in JOY or in BAH HUMBUG.
The two images here reflect both of those sentiments. One filled with anguish and despair the other with joy, color and light.
Knowing this is not an easy season for many I want to open an opportunity for people to share their experiences, both positive and negative on Saturday January 6th on Facebook Live at 8PM EST. I hope you will join me as we share in each others joys and challenges. Might even learn some new ways to negotiate the next season.
Join me for my Post Holiday Release HERE.
