Hello everyone! I'm going to start off by giving you a little background on why I thought it was important for me to start this blog and what this is going to be all about. Some of you may know what has been going on in my life, and some may not, so here is a little insight.
This last year has been pretty tough on my family. My mom and dad have started the process of going through a divorce, and it has been, and continues to be very difficult to watch them go through. No, it does not make it easier to go through because I am a 23 year old adult, it is still painful. I could not have picked a better mom and dad, they have always been wonderful parents. However, through all of this, I have grown to realize that sometimes two people that should be together, just aren't meant to be. That is something that is hard realize, and even harder to accept.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a Christmas fanatic! It has always brought me great joy in the worst of circumstances. The moment I realized that I was in more pain than I thought, was when it was the day after Thanksgiving, when my Christmas tree was still not up. Not only was it not up, but I had no desire to set it up . . . I had no Christmas spirit. Shortly after that, my mom and I went out to eat and we had a little chat about how we were both "running low on Christmas spirit." We tossed back a few ideas of ways that we could bring that joy back, and we came up with writing this blog.
This is going to be a blog that my mom and I are doing together for the 25 days of Christmas. For the next 25 days, we are going to do one thing that brings joy to someone else, because that is what brings us joy. It can be anything, big or small, and then we will blog about it. I will write a post about my day, and she will write a blog about her day. Hopefully, by the end of all of this, Christmas will be back to feeling the way it is supposed to feel . . . Merry and bright! Sarah
This last year has been pretty tough on my family. My mom and dad have started the process of going through a divorce, and it has been, and continues to be very difficult to watch them go through. No, it does not make it easier to go through because I am a 23 year old adult, it is still painful. I could not have picked a better mom and dad, they have always been wonderful parents. However, through all of this, I have grown to realize that sometimes two people that should be together, just aren't meant to be. That is something that is hard realize, and even harder to accept.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a Christmas fanatic! It has always brought me great joy in the worst of circumstances. The moment I realized that I was in more pain than I thought, was when it was the day after Thanksgiving, when my Christmas tree was still not up. Not only was it not up, but I had no desire to set it up . . . I had no Christmas spirit. Shortly after that, my mom and I went out to eat and we had a little chat about how we were both "running low on Christmas spirit." We tossed back a few ideas of ways that we could bring that joy back, and we came up with writing this blog.
This is going to be a blog that my mom and I are doing together for the 25 days of Christmas. For the next 25 days, we are going to do one thing that brings joy to someone else, because that is what brings us joy. It can be anything, big or small, and then we will blog about it. I will write a post about my day, and she will write a blog about her day. Hopefully, by the end of all of this, Christmas will be back to feeling the way it is supposed to feel . . . Merry and bright! Sarah
To say that this has been a tough year is a vast understatement. And as I sit here trying to put my thoughts together to start a blog with my daughter who embodies what “Christmas Spirit” really means, the tears are streaming down my face at the magnitude of all that has happened.
This year has been painful. It has been full of personal challenge, hardship, pain, losses, death, suffering, and yet, in the thralls of all of it, there have been many fingerprints of a God that loves us and allows the spirit of Christ to work through those who come to us when we most need it. I really think that is how God works . . . through each of us.
God works through us, and I think, when he does it changes us from within. The spirit of giving and doing is powerful not just for the receiver, but more importantly for the giver. Giving can truly be the greatest gift of all!
My daughter Sarah has grown into an incredible young woman and I am so proud of her. I know that the spillage from my life this year has altered her life path in ways that she never imagined. However, through it all, I have witnessed first-hand the strength and wisdom that she has managed to find in spite of all of the challenges.
Right before Thanksgiving, she and I were spending some time together as mother and daughter. We were putting up the Christmas tree at the place that is now my home away from my home. It is not the big beautiful green tree that I am used to. Nor is it in the living room that is big enough to accommodate its mass. There are no additional decorations to make it feel even more Christmassy. Even the usual trip to H & D Floral did very little to lift our Christmas Spirit. I have no clue where my Christmas CD’s are in the turmoil that is my life. BUT we opted to give it our very best effort. She brought her “gold” Christmas tree assuring me that my orange, brown, wine, and cream decorations would look beautiful. She brought Chinese from China King. We plopped The Grinch into the DVD player and opted to give it our Michaels’ best.
Soon the tree was up and it looked beautiful. We had to move it a couple of times because the tree is really too big for my living room. The cats opted to cuddle under the branches and Sarah and I settled in to chat about what Christmas would look like now. Soon we were both in tears. My usual cannot wait for Christmas girl who talks about it all year long was struggling to find the Christmas Spirit. And as the little girl sang Where are You Christmas looking forlorn out the window as the movie played in the background, I knew that “we” needed to do something together to put the “Christ” back into our Christmas. AND because Christ works through each of us, Sarah and I are on a mission.
For 25 days . . . Sarah and I are going to do something for somebody else each and every day until Christmas comes. Then we will blog about that experience. Sometimes the receiver will know that we were the giver, but in all likelihood, more often than not, they will not know, and we will never know if the gift had any impact at all. However, in the giving there is often a much greater gift and we see things differently than we had before. Christ's blessings on our journey. Sheila
I cant wait to read your guys blogs. Im happy to see you two doing something together and spending some good quality time together! Thats whats christmas is about! :) LOVE you both!
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