Wednesday, December 12, 2007

'Tis the Season

I'll admit it: the past few years, I've been pretty grinchy. There are a lot of things about this season that annoy me. The crowded malls, the gaudy outdoor displays, the rampant materialism, the fundie-invented "War on Christmas" -- it's all taken a toll on me. But nothing has made this season as difficult as the fact that my grandmother, who loved this time of year more than any other, passed away just 15 days before Christmas in 2004. I miss her terribly. All our little traditions at this time of year, and helping her with preparations, especially as she got older, were things that I really looked forward to. And without her, the holiday feels empty.

But this year, I'm making an effort to really let myself enjoy the season. I've been listening to the all-holiday-music station on the radio, I've got some decorations up, and I'm even thinking about baking cookies. I suggested to my extended family that we do a polyanna among the adults this year, and everyone was enthusiastic about my idea, so fortunately we have less expenses this year. And I'm really looking forward to Christmas Eve at my sister's -- she's making a traditional Italian "seven fishes" dinner. I don't know much about the tradition, but I'm bringing mussels marinara! Yum!

So, in the spirit of allowing the little things to make me happy at this time of year, here's one of my favorite holiday tunes from the 80's. I'm planning on sharing a few more of my faves as the holiday season continues. Enjoy!


2 comments:

Misty said...

my hubby loves Run DMC...

The holidays are tough for so many of us... They are such a good example of us having to pick up and move on, though it doesn't stop me from welling up with tears and screaming to crawl back in to bed!

Anna said...

Run DMC!! Now that's a good memory!! I love the holiday traditions with family.