It's The Little Things...

 

                                           

Hi!

Well, we are smack in the middle of the holiday season! Depending on what and how you celebrate, you either are winding down, just getting started, or somewhere in between!

So, here's to whatever stage of whichever holidays you celebrate!

With all of the hoopla, all of the advertising dollars spent to compete for however much you are willing to part with, with all of the photos and videos making their rounds on social media showing nothing short of showstopping lights and decor, it seems to me that the real memories have very little to do with any of those things. 

It's the little things.

A favorite homemade treat, the grand (insert game name here) tournament(s), the inside jokes and the giggles they get every single time, the simple joy of being together. Those are the lasting things that stick to the memory core.

New faces, newly-missing faces, even faces that have been gone a while, all have seats at the table. There is room for all of them. It's incredible to have the opportunity to welcome new people into your circle, some coming through romance or friendship, others, born into it.  Some of what we miss most of those no longer here have a way of showing up in the eyes, laughter, or maybe an eyebrow raise of those born into it. Those sweet reminders can bring to the surface a fresh hit of grief, but it passes, leaving behind the memories the precious reminders carry. 

I see pieces of my Dad and my sisters in my own kids, grandkids, my nieces and nephews, and their children as well. The gene pool is deep and wide and full of sarcastic wit, warmth, and quirks. They may be gone, but the ripples of who they were remain. 

So, if you are struggling to keep up with the Jones's, if you weren't able to buy all the things, if your home isn't "perfect," it simply doesn't matter. If you fill it with laughter, love, and precious memories, you've won. 

Memories are not built from "things." Things become an anecdote, a trigger that sparks a memory. The best road trips are never about the car. 

Well folks, tomorrow I have the privilege of having all of those I hold closest to my heart under my roof. It's a single day, but I'll gladly take it. There will be way too much food, laughter, of which there can never be too much, and enough joy to fill me for a good long while.

So, with a few more little things to look after, I wish you everything fabulous. 

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May wonderous eyes remind you of what is most precious. 

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