almost...made...it

It's December 31, 2009. In about 2.5 hours, this year will be over and 2010 will begin. I have almost made it through another holiday season.

I won't consider myself a survivor until all the decorations are put away and I'm driving on I-70 to work on Monday morning. Only then will I be able to say I truly made it.

As for this past year, I have been noticing something lately. A lot of people have been commenting on what an awful year it has been. When I think about it, I tend to agree -- 2009 sort of sucked. So, I decided that I need to stop and think about the good things that happened:

1) Way back in January I traveled to Guatemala with Josh. It was fabulous, and I can't wait to go back! That trip was a true gift.

2) My dad turned 80. Holy crap!

3) I applied for and got a full-time position at work. Woo hoo! Don't know about for the people who have to work with me now, but for me it has been great. Love it!

4) Got to go to Myrtle Beach for the first time. One should always be thankful for a beach vacation. Anyone want to go on another one with me?

5) Friends and family added more babies to our world. Love me some bebes!! (and love to hand them back!)

6) Birthdays -- I now have a 10-, 5-, and 3-year-old, and they amaze me everyday. I guess I'm not like most mothers who lament the passing of the baby years. Rather, I tend to celebrate their growth and progress and marvel at where they are now compared to a year ago. I do not miss diapers.

These are the big things, but there are many more little things that I won't list. Things like books and chocolate. As I move out of this year and into the next, I am going to try to concentrate on these big and little things and be thankful for them. Sure, the icky stuff will try to crowd them out (and will often succeed) but I'm really, really hoping for lots of non-icky stuff to fill my life and yours.

Better New Year!

dec 26

About a week before Halloween, I went to Meijer to get some remaining necessities for the big day. Things like costumes and glitter spray. Ya know, important stuff. Weird, though. Halloween stuff was dwindling and Christmas doodads were sprouting right next to it. I think that's when my holiday depression set in, and my desire for December 26 took hold. Believe it or not, not everyone loves this time of year. Some even dread it.

You see, I used to have a ton of time for the season. Once upon a time, I was a student and then an adjunct, and I was done with adult responsibilities at the beginning of December. There was nothing I had to do but revel in all the holiday goodness and cheer. Then I got a real job. And kids. Who the hell has time to shop, send cards, bake cookies, decorate, party, and be happy all at the same time?? Screw it.

Then I start thinking about what all of it is really supposed to mean. It's supposed to be Jesus' birthday, right? Well, it's not. Ok, but we'll pretend it is. Can you imagine what He must think? Why the hell are these people buying flat screen tvs and wiis for my birthday? Why are they stressing themselves out and making each other unhappy? Why are they getting drunk at their office parties and having sex in the coat room with Jane from Purchasing? Why are they making a big freakin' deal about people saying "Happy Holidays?" -- more on that in a moment. As a society, we have taken this one-day holiday and blown it into way more than I think He would ever want it to be. I mean, think about how much our economy depends on how much we BUY this time of year. Should a holiday celebrating the savior of a certain religion be based on commerce?? How f'd up is that?? And it seems to get worse and worse every year because we let it.

So, yeah, not a fan. And while I won't for the moment go into whatever religion label I do or don't attach to myself, I am very conscious of the fact that not everyone is a Christian and not all Christians find this time of year to be a happy one. If you know I celebrate it, and you wish me a Merry Christmas, then that is very nice of you! If you think I might be Jewish, and you wish me a Happy Hanukkah, fabulous! Happy Hanukkah to you, too! If you just aren't sure what brand of brainwash I might be sniffin' and want to say, "Happy Holidays" just to be safe, I will wish you the same and mentally thank you for being sensitive to something you don't know. Because quite honestly, I really doubt Jesus cares what greetings we bestow upon our neighbors as long as it is said with sincerity and kindness. I mean, somehow I doubt he is sitting on his Son of God throne and saying, "C'mon people. I am "Jesus the CHRIST" not "Jesus the HOLIDAY! Get it right!" (Hey, wait a minute -- maybe THAT is what the "H" stands for!)

You know those WWJD bracelets that were popular for awhile? I think they are awesome. Just wish people would actually stop and think about what Jesus WOULD actually do, say and think and try to emulate that.

So, as I claw my way through one more season where Jesus is supposedly the reason but nobody really acts like it, I am going to keep a low profile and hopefully re-emerge on Dec 26 with a new attitude and a sense of survival.

Happy Merry.

shall i do this again?

Hmm...my last post was way back in March. It is now December. Guess it has been awhile, huh? Also guessing no one out there is reading this, but that's ok. For some reason I am getting the writing bug again, and I remembered that I have this outlet for just that purpose.

But what is pushing me to come back here? I think it is just a need to express myself, and what better place to do that than my own blog spot?

So, I am back. For now. We'll see how it goes...