Well that was weird!! Does anyone else think Christmas was super weird?! This is the first year I have spent alone on Christmas. I usually host Christmas Eve and Christmas morning and attend tons of parties leading up to the big day. We wrap up Christmas with an evening at Dad’s. This year, however, looked a little bit different for me as I am sure it did for some of you.
When I woke up today, the day after Christmas, and was reflecting on the past two days the phrase “look at your positives” came to mind. I learned this phrase on a hilarious trip with my best friend, Karla. We drove in her boyfriend’s (sans boyfriend) purple, think Barney, Honda Civic to Orlando and around. We spent our Spring Break literally living out of our suitcases out of the back seat of that car. We crashed with friends, sleeping in the hallway of hotel rooms – you know the area leading to the door – spooning ensued (all G-Rated) because there was simply no room. I clogged every time Rocky Top was requested by my best friend…..which was basically everywhere we went. I fell asleep at the drop of a hat as I was struggling with some odd fatigue illness that could not be figured out. We rode on the back of motorcycles with random people because why not! We danced and laughed and danced and laughed some more.
Our trip ended with a short cruise and you know I entered the talent contest – more clogging!!! This was where the fateful meeting occurred of two sisters who at dinner told us girls to always “look at your positives”. We also met two guys – the third set of Chuck and Scotts she and I had met/dated! While there names stayed the same, our names changed to Solange and Mia! That trip was SO MUCH FUN!!
This post was not meant to be about that trip but the memory lane ride was fun for me! What this blog post is meant to be about is that phrase I learned from two strangers that has stuck with me for over 20 years. Look at your positives!!
This morning when I woke up I did just that. And while Christmas was super weird and somewhat sad, I can find the positives. I tried a new recipe on Christmas Eve and did not ruin it even though there were so many steps and so many pots and pans!!! Whew! The past two days were incredibly relaxing. I stayed in my PJ’s all day and wasn’t exhausted at the end of the day! I watched three Christmas movies versus running the dishwasher three times. I savored the gifts one by one that were here for me to open! I drank bubbly with my brunch – some consistency had to remain. I had time to read my Bible and spend time in prayer. I finished off the evening with a new book and a filet perfectly prepared in, you guessed it, the air fryer!
Honestly, I was sad at times but most of my tears that day were of gratefulness. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of my friends and family. Some dropped gifts here for me to have for Christmas morning. So many texted with love and kindness. My brother came by to have a chilly front porch gift exchange on Christmas Eve. There was FaceTime and other masked visits and outdoor lunches and dinners in chilly weather. I have been moved to tears with the generosity and sweet gifts from dear friends and family. While I was alone this year, I wasn’t lonely.
Change that we have all endured this year has been hard, and the longer we stay in this place, the harder it gets. The year 2020 has really stretched us all….more than some of us could handle at times. We have empty seats that we cannot bear to see. We have so much loss….of jobs, homes, loved ones, normalcy! The year 2020 has some good too if we just stop and see it. It is up to us. We can only change how we react in this situation. Make a choice to find at least one thing…..if you can’t, keep searching. It is there.
I am sorry for those of you who have lost loved ones or who did feel very alone this year! I am good at being alone so maybe this was less difficult for me than for some others. I know these are hard times and I am proud of every good thing that you have created. My wish is that you all found some joy, some positives this Christmas season in whatever way you could!
