Day 17.2018

Today’s post is in honor of winter solstice the longest day of the year.  It was written by Christmas aficionada and fashionista Autumn Bond.  I have known her since we were in college at OBU together when she tried very hard to make cranberry leggings a thing.  Like seriously, she wore them with everything.  EVERYTHING.  Ahhh, the discretions of youth.  I love what she had to write. 

Tales of a Christmas Addict: An Accidental Manifesto for Christmas Lovers and Haters Alike 

I will tell you, there’s a lot of Christmas love going on in my life. The Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker is playing in the background alternating with traditional Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald tunes. And there’s an occasional ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’ or Adam Sandler Hanukkah song thrown in. 

A red holiday candle is burning and I’m pouring over Christmas card possibilities, glitter and ribbon options (oooh!), and wondering what would be the most fun to send out this year. I am in total heaven! Weeeeee! 

Sounds like a fairly typical Christmas scene for an over the top Christmas lover- Right? We know who you are.  

Except that what I am describing started in the middle of August and my neighbor just knocked on the door, slathered in sunscreen and a bikini, asking if she could borrow a cooler to take to the lake because she lost hers. She’s a little confounded to see my own personal Christmas party taking place in late summer. 

Okay, I made that last part up, but to be fair, I have encountered many situations exactly like this for most of my adult life. I start celebrating and planning Christmas three or four months earlier than the average person. The excitement that I feel about Christmas and the whole holiday season makes Will Ferrell’s character in the movie ‘Elf’ look like a total amateur. 

This all started in my mid-twenties when I noticed that I never wanted to take any of the Christmas decorations down. I had a desire to extend the energy and spirit of the season indefinitely. I would say to my then husband, “Can we just keep the tree up a little longer?” And so we did. That “longer” even turned into a few Homeowner’s Association letters begging me to please call off Christmas or they may have to take further action. 

I remedied my Christmas obsession on and off occasionally by having colored mini-trees that I would decorate for each season. If you ever want to try it, I can tell you that a pink Valentine’s Day tree decorated with deep red hearts can bring a person more joy than you can ever imagine, and a Rose Gold Thanksgiving tree can be the stuff that dreams are made of if you let it. 

My love for Christmas has not changed over the years but what I have noticed is that I have figured out why I love it so much. Christmas and Holiday Haters alike, I feel you, but stay with me for a minute if you can. I promise not to crank out ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ or force you to go ice-skating with me.

I know many people despise the holidays, and as much as I like to rib and tease these fellow humans with my opposite opinion, most of them make a striking point. I saw someone in the service industry say it well when describing a recent interaction with a normally unkind customer who wished him Merry Christmas.  “Don’t be nice to me during Christmas when you’re a jerk the rest of the year,” he thought to himself. And he’s right, we should embody the season the rest of the year. However, I would like to take it a step further. 

Though contrived to say that the holidays bring out the pure magic and joy in life, they completely DO for some adults and many children. Children can carry a wonder and magic about life even without presents and decorations.  

Because we have heard all this before- [insert pseudo-inspirational trite story here telling you to look for the beauty in everyday life and Christmas while your kids are screaming in the living room and you have a headache etc.]. 

But wait. What if it is actually TRUE? 

The more I live on this planet, the more I find that these everyday moments are the ones that make our life. We have pinnacles and mountain top experiences. Other times a bad day. Or even a bad year. 

But in between there is the funny conversation you had with a friend, the dog you saw in the park that made you laugh. The rainbow that appeared out of nowhere Just for You and Your Delight.

If I sound a little overzealous, it’s because I forget about these things sometimes and have to remind myself too. It’s a commitment to appreciate all that you have and to be truly grateful in this crazy culture we live in.

Nevertheless, the magic and humor in everyday living is always accessible and pretty exciting for the one who wants to practice it. And, also have a really good time in life.  

We all have that cool story or interesting encounter we’ve had.  The glimpse of a life that is possible through something inspiring that we read or see. Maybe a shooting star or a kind gesture from a friend or even stranger, and most of us know to be grateful for food, shelter, and all of the benefits we get for living in a first world country. 

These are all things to be pretty grateful and happy about. There is a certain magic in that. Sometimes we become indifferent to the everyday miracles around us because we are all used to having so much. Wanting so much. Focusing on what we do not have, or what is wrong. When Magic and connection are reaching out their hands everyday to show us that happiness is right there. To illustrate that point, here’s a picture of a dog named Mango and his best friend Eddie that I met last night while getting cough drops and a notebook last night. Trust me when I say that I was lucky to meet them both and hear their story. 

Whatever holiday you do or do not celebrate, whether you like Christmas or hate it. I hope that we can all experience a few more shooting stars, laughing until we cry, and truly having more joy, which is our birthright. 

I’m only just learning myself what the meaning of truly being grateful is, and this Christmas Addict, who is getting ready to crank up some ‘White Christmas’, wishes the same for you. 

I hope that you consciously start to choose whatever it is that makes you happy. No matter how small. It’s a magic that spreads and lights up your world as well as everyone else’s.