PEACE

Sometimes the thought of a song from childhood still rings in my ears as I continue to seek a peaceful co-existence in the world. "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me... To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.... Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."  Ahhhhh - kind of peaceful in itself.

Now that I'm feeling at peace, and making peace with my habit of 'finishing' projects, viewing them more in 'stages' (though not such a 'bad' habit - but it can sometimes interfere with my sense of peace!) - I'm thinking about another peace-invoking season that exists just around the corner - Chirstmas! 

For a number of years now our celebration(s) of this holiday just haven't been the 'same'. I want that sense of nastalgic wonder, true meaning, life put into perspective, sheer joy, and - of course - peace! I was always one to get into it early... hauling out the music and lights long before the arrival of the designated calendar date. Then, things just - changed. It became chaotic. It started to feel more like obligation, and follow-through, rather than joyful gathering and family-memories. There was a shift in family dynamic that was out of our control - which also had an impact on this sense of 'going through the motions' for the holidays.

Kids entered the picture, and of course that brought back a heightened level of excitement and joy! I feel joy through theirs - and I love it! But it actually makes me feel even more passionate & motivated about really making it count. Making MEMORIES. Creating our own traditions, and truly looking forward to all aspects of this beloved season and the meaning behind it. Not gifts. Not running around like crazy and giving into expectations... Joel and I began to remedy that to a degree by limiting the number of commitments per night. i.e. - we spent Christmas Eve with one side, and Christmas Day with the other. That did simplify matters - but still didn't allow things to evolve enough to giving it back that intrinsically joyful and heart-felt meaning and excited anticipation.

So - this year Joel and I are making a point to do what we feel will bring us closer together, enabling us to create real memories, fond feelings, and cozy-winter-time PEACE. We want the girls to remember the fun times even more than the gifts they receive - and really recognize what we're celebrating. 

Not entirely sure what that will mean just yet. We have a couple of ideas in mind... We just have to decide which route to take. Time will tell - but we know we want the emphasis on love, family-bond, memories, cozy-quiet, and yes - peace. "Silent Night", anyone?

TIP: Make your traditions center around what has meaning for you. Put aside unnecessary commitments if they don't come from the heart. For example - I have yet to take up sending out cards. It's a time-consuming task, and I wouldn't know where to begin (or end, really) with the 'list' of where to send! So - I just don't do it. Weight lifted. PEACE. :)

A QUOTE: "Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

WHIDFML: Making new family traditions for our household, and looking forward to Christmas again!