The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

The Holidays. We long for them. So much hope, so much potential. Wrapping up one year and preparing for the next. Time with friends and family, or for some more time alone. We are at the midpoint. Thanksgiving is behind us, and Christmas (Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa) are ahead. Regardless of your religion and/or tradition, it is a very spiritual time of year. According to Women’s Day there a numerous events and activities to celebrate. I grew up celebrating Christmas. We have traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation.

Last week we celebrated Family Club Christmas. It takes place in December and rotates among various houses. This tradition (Family Club anyway) has included five generations and 50+ members. Last year I attended my first pajama version. Families dress in matching Christmas pj’s. Dinner and goodies are shared, gifts are exchanged, and love is reaffirmed. Family Club is on the Harrington side representing my Grandma Flo and her in-law’s. We never knew my grandfather. That’s a whole different story.

This year’s club, for those of us attending via Zoom, had a fragile note. My uncle, aged 90, recently had a heart attack. It seems this is the year of heart attacks. According to AHA they are on the rise globally. My awareness is peeked as they are certainly on the rise within my family. One neighbor told me “It is happening to everyone”. “We are all going through it”. If those words were meant to be comforting, they were not. I’m too raw and such comments hit me as insensitive. Yet, I have to imagine my neighbor was intending to be unkind. Like so many conversations it is all a matter of perspective and where we each find ourselves on any given day. Those differences and our raw spots contribute to some of the holiday anxiety. These are difficult times in so many ways. We ride the waves throughout the holiday season.

Despite the fragileness of our elders, I feel hopeful. My connection to my family and our traditions is strong and soothing. We share a common humanity that is handed down from generation to generation. We celebrate the good times, support each other through the challenges and know that we are loved. We have our share of dysfunction and heartache to be sure. Thankfully we have a love that lets us know we are going to be okay.

As you ride the waves this holiday season be kind to yourself. Enjoy the festivities to the degree that you are able. Let it warm your heart and follow Life’s Simple 7 to keep your hearth healthy.