Well, here it is, December 26th. That means that Christmas is over for another year. Do you feel relieved? I always feel better when the holiday season is winding down.
If you've read any of my past posts at the holidays, you know my views, and things haven't really changed. I spend the entire month of December living Christmas, since I do activities in a nursing home. This year, things went very well. The decorations were up on time, and even though our large tree should go in the trash, it ended up looking beautiful. We plan on getting a new tree or two next week, marked way down.
I think I resent the fact that the same exact items that were full price a few days earlier when you need them are now dirt cheap. So I try to plan ahead and stock up for next year if I can make it to the store.
Getting back to the activities themselves, we had a wonderful party with the families invited, not to mention three concerts where Carolers sang. Then on Christmas Eve, our social worker put on Santa's suit and we passed out Christmas presents, drank cocoa, and ate cookies and little eclairs. The staff where I work bought lovely gifts for the residents. I signed up for three residents, and even though it was supposed to be a secret Santa, they all seemed to know it was me! The week before Christmas I had a little fundraiser sale, and raised $75.00. Not too bad for the amount of time I put in, and small amount of customers I had.
I was lucky enough to have Christmas off, and the weather was unseasonably warm for New England--try 65 degrees! I'm not complaining, it was very enjoyable. But not exactly Christmas-y. The visit to my sister's house for dinner was nice. But I would give almost anything to have another Christmas at my grandmother's house again. It's been eight years since we had the pleasure of cooking dinner and driving it to her house, eating with her and my uncle, and then enjoying the fireplace, opening gifts, and being sleepy on the couch. I miss my grandfather too, but I was so close to my Grammy, it's her I think of most. She loved Christmas!
I love Christmas too, but I have to admit I still struggle with that love/hate relationship that comes from a lack of time to do the things I really want to do. I'm just too busy and too tired to appreciate the season. Time flies and before you know it, I've had no time to go shopping for my own family! Not that I have many presents to buy, wouldn't you think I'd set aside one day to get it done? I ordered a couple of things online, and if I had tried a little harder, I could've had all my gifts online and patted myself on the back. Instead I had to tell my sister I had no gifts for her and her hubby. Just a couple for my nephew and my grand niece. Luckily, she understood, because she works in a nursing home too.
I'm ordering their gifts today, and having them sent to their house. Then I'll be done with Christmas 2015, and ready to move on to the new year, and hopefully better things beginning.
My resolution for next year? The same ones I've broken the previous few years--get the shopping done early, find time to do meaningful things, like make my favorite cookies and fruitcake, and get the house decorated nicely, especially outdoors. Hear the Christmas music I like and watch the Christmas movies I want to see. I still don't have a copy of "It's a Wonderful Life" on DVD. Gotta get that.
I guess I'm happy my occupation allows me to help others enjoy the season. But I probably won't enjoy it as much myself until I retire!
Merry Christmas!!
