Have A Little Faith in We

It is finally here ….. this week we are headed to New York City for Thanksgiving!! Tonight as we prepare for the week – I am sadly behind. My weekend was dedicated to mostly getting life back to neutral around here and contract work. Somehow we are to the last night before departure and I am still not packed, have a little bit of work to wrap up, errands to run….. busy, busy, busy! But despite the busy I am feeling a lot of reflection on the week we are about to experience.

It has been a year since my family has all been together . This gift of time with the added bonus of celebrating Bridget is already, without even having taken place, a blessing. No matter how the trip goes  – these are memories in the making and I feel lucky for the experience. The real truth of the matter is there will be stress, it will be busy, there will be waaaayyyy too many cooks in the kitchen (traveling as a family of adults is complicated)….this time of year spent away or at home can be tough. The to do lists are long, the schedules are full, the balance between what you have to do and what you want to do gets REALLY hard…. before you know it you are running on empty and your emotions are frayed. The holidays have moments of good – but can be headlined by moments of stress. You all know my tendency to get wrapped up in being perfect and trying to do it all – often leading to losing focus etc. I don’t want to have that happen this holiday season – especially this trip.

While in NYC I have two thoughts that I plan to place in my direct line of focus when our plans get derailed or the weather takes an unexpected turn:

#1 – During our dating years holidays were not always spent together – I longed for the day when we were able to make each other the primary focus. By nature Danny and I are traditional people and a lot of our courtship was rather traditional – especially when it came to family matters. So holidays for the first several years included each other, but not as a focus. Neither of us felt we could ask to put our families second, so instead we worked our personal holiday celebrations around the family events. But these days – we are always able to choose each other first. Everyone gets it, respects it, understands it and expects it….. so maybe every moment is not 100% PERFECT – but every moment I have Danny with me. Just to sweeten the deal…. we are still each other’s favorite person in the room – no matter where we are or who we are with…. that is worth staying happy in the moment.

#2 – Our first Christmas together I struggled over what to get Danny. I so badly wanted to find the perfect gift that would somehow let Danny see the incredible view I saw the world through with this new lens – love. Everything was brighter, more exciting…. the world felt like my oyster and it was like he was the one handing it to me. What the heck Christmas gift could I give that would offer Danny that same feeling? I was at a loss – until I went to NYC that December for a long weekend trip with my family. I had never been there before and it was during the holidays! To experience the city that is unlike any other place in the world, especially during the hustle and bustle of this most enchanting season, I had a ball. That was it – that is what I needed to give Danny – a quick trip to NYC!  He too had never been and I just knew he would feel so alive with the electricity of the surroundings. Unfortunately our first time going to the city did not come to be (even though I had budget out the most perfect trip that would not cost a fortune …. that budget went to Redskins playoff game Florida road trip, a post for another day) until 5 years later with my family in the fall. That was a great trip and Danny enjoyed the city so much more than he would have ever thought……but without the holiday fun it was just not the same….. so the trip this week feels very long overdue.

Life is not perfect – especially at the holiday season. It can be hard to not focus on what is missing or your lack of ability to make it all happen just like on Pinterest ….. but I do find that when you stop to examine the little coinscidecences that do pop up, the little wishes that have quietly turned into reality, the life that you have found from the unique path you have traveled….. you can be overwhelmed by the blessings. However you are spending the holidays and even when you fall down the hole of to do lists and calendars – take a moment with me to become enchanted by the magic of the holidays!

Thank you for reading and remember to make it a great day!
Jackie