Holiday Reflections

A year filled with all that the Holiday season should have..or should I say, what I have always most wanted.
1. Our Family, and the first Christmas with our beautiful daughters and a house filled with Kids and laughter
2. Great memories; watching both Mr. J and Miss S recite poems so beautifully and confidently in their school concert; the cousins holding and totally connecting with their youngest and newest family members; the grandparents faces and joy as they watched the girls enjoy Christmas dinner from the high chairs that they fixed up just for the occasion, laughing with friends in the days and weeks as we connected, shared, and helped each other, experiencing all that the season brings.
3. Dear Friends; and a coming together through joy and pain. Connecting in the most wonderful way with long lost friends from days gone by...
4. Giving; A morning with friends helping those in need during a time of year when so much is about giving of the material kind..
An outing with the Mr and Girls to deliver to moms to be gifts and necessities to make the coming months a bit easier ( and I hope what will be the first of many days of giving and service )
5. Treasuring; Watching the kids as they opened their gifts and helped their new sisters discover their toys ( and the joy of eating wrapping paper ) Noticing, that they were appreciative of the few special things they got, and less focused on the quantity of gifts, holiday music, the roaring fire, funny movies at night...
A treasured and coveted gift from the Mr and a few other romantic treats...
The unexpected gift from a new group of important people in my life..who took the time to seek out something that was so special and generous that a few weeks later I am still glowing.


As I look back, and as we spend time as a family during the week between the holidays, I keep reflecting on all that we have, and all that we have become in this last year. For so many reasons, I feel more complete, more peaceful, and incredibly grateful for all that we have in our lives. Oddly enough, cleaning out the garage ( still a bit more to complete in the next few days )
I was stuck by how much I have acquired and accumulated over the years. As I must have been finally ready to let much of it go, packing up bags for charities, books for the library and gifts it occurred to me that I spent so much time thinking about what I might want and should get.
For some reason, it never filled the space I was looking to fill. The space, I realize finally is filled. With the family, the true friends and the person I most want to be, and am yet to become. I am, I realize desirous of spending my time doing, learning, failing, exploring. And while yes, I shall always appreciate beautiful things, I need not own them all.

So looking forward to another amazing year, and to all that it brings...