How to Survive the Holiday!

Oh sure the holidays...may seem fun and wonderful, and we feel all this pressure that everyone is having the best Christmas except for us...maybe are dealing with:

• the loss of a loved one
• we are all alone
• we don't want to deal with our family
• you just broke up with someone
• we are feeling more sad because our Christmas isn't going to feel so great!

 Or maybe some mean lady wrote obscenities on your car window (that she didn't even spell correctly!)...after staring at me with her "evil-eye"...yes she parked right next to me...and even after we tried to say sorry, I didn't see her car...even though she was far back from mine..she must have thought I shouldn't have gotten into her lane...I feel bad for her really! For her to get that upset over someone trying to turn into the same parking lot as you...is pretty sad...then for her to take the time to write things on my window..and she waited for me to come out..then drive off..is really sad! and kinda' funny..ha ha ha ha now that I think about it!
 
No matter what is getting you down or breaking your heart...
Christmas isn't about going to Christmas parties (to which I never get invited anyway! ha ha)..it isn't about having the best decorated house or getting the best presents...it isn't even about being with our loved ones really...

 (I didn't even have money for a Charlie Brown tree like this one year! ha ha ha)

And believe me..one year we were so poor...when Jordan was a baby and I was a super young wife...I wanted to decorate...so I cut a tree shape out of a cardboard box and taped it to the wall and drew decorations on it...no family, not really much food...just me and my little baby...but we had a wonderful time!

Christmas is really about celebrating Jesus' birth...
Not about dealing with relatives that have hurt you....feeling alone, or broke....
There's always next Christmas..and it can be 10 times more wonderful....
Whenever I've felt sad, or been alone on a holiday....I always tell myself...."Next (Christmas, new year's, birthday, valentine's day....) is going to be awesome! It's ok if this one isn't great....I'll make next year's super wonderful to make up for this one!"

Rest in the peace that, that little baby, who's birthday we celebrate can provide...and if this year is feeling not so wonderful...he'll give you double for all your trouble...so you'll have a double great Christmas next year!

And my granmda used to say: "Christmas is the only time you sit around a dead tree and eat candy out of sock!" ha ha ha ha

Don't let anyone steal your joy..whether it's a difficult family member, (a mean lady who wrote not nice things on your car window!), not having a lot of money, feeling alone...
Keep that happiness alive in your heart...you could be sitting all alone singing Christmas songs to yourself, dancing around your room, or just driving around looking at all the pretty twinkly lights...
as long as you keep watering the love and happiness garden in your heart...and trusting that God will give you an amazing Christmas to make up for any bad ones....you'll be alright...
until then make some hot chocolate...smile because I'm sending you the biggest hug...and I wish I could throw a huge Christmas party for everyone...and we would sing and eat...and really be MERRY!!!

candy canes....kandee