This Too Shall Pass

I think it’s fair to say that most of us have a vision for how we want the holidays to go.  If you’re hosting, you want your guests to feel welcome, the food to be delicious, and your home to look beautiful.  When you give a gift, you hope that the recipient loves it as much as you hoped they would.  And when you gather with family that you haven’t seen in awhile, you hope past grievances don’t rear their head and everyone has a wonderful time together. You know what “they” say about best laid plans, though…they tend to go to pot!  I’m laughing now, but I wasn’t on Christmas.  

For reasons beyond anyone’s control, my family had to pivot and make adjustments to our celebration.  Even as an adult, I look forward to Christmas like a child waiting for Santa so my spirit was squashed with the curveball.  I gave myself a moment to mope and then decided to watch “Love Actually”.  If you haven’t seen it, treat yourself!  If you’ve seen it, you know how special it is.  I connected with the theme of being handed a set of circumstances no one could have predicted for and, in most cases, wouldn’t choose.  No surprise, the characters find resolve by the movie’s end, but not every outcome is wrapped up in as rosy a package as our hopeful hearts might wish it to be.  This is why I love the movie:  Yes, there’s the magic of swoon worthy love stories playing out, but there’s also redemption in the form of hard to swallow truths, acceptance of what is, and letting go of what isn’t. Learning how to feel disappointment and heartbreak and still carry hope in your heart is what love actually is all about.  Easy to remember when your vision is going your way…much harder when it goes awry.  But, we have to try; to do anything different would be to ignore the possibilities that exist around every corner and forego the opportunity we all have each and every day to begin again.    

Right now, sitting in front of a beautifully lit frosted Christmas tree and enjoying the smell of a gingerbread scented candle wafting throughout the room, I’m beginning again.  Next to me is a bowl of old school Brach’s Christmas peppermint nougat candy and a merry mug of hot tea.  Christmas may not have been perfect, but today feels pretty great and I’m making the most.  Whatever you may be going through, I hope you’re doing the same.