Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2002. This was Mattie's first Christmas and probably the only Christmas we really ever celebrated at home. Most Christmases we were traveling to see family. That certainly has its pluses and minuses. But at the end of the day, what this resulted in is very few Vicki and Peter traditions of our own. I am not sure what our holiday times would have evolved into as Mattie got older, but being with family was important to us and therefore we made great efforts to make that happen.
Quote of the day: People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost. ~ Dalai Lama
I spent a good part of today running around doing chores. It is impossible not to see Christmas all around me now. I hear it on the radio, I hear holiday music piped into stores, and of course decorations have practically been up since Halloween. Gone are the days in which Christmas preparations began after Thanksgiving. Now we seem to have bypassed Thanksgiving altogether, and have jumped directly into Christmas.
In many of the stores I went to, the cashier wished me a happy holiday. I realize that is common courtesy and also good form since this reflects back on the store. Yet these two words can wreak havoc on many of us at this time of year. We may all long for the Norman Rockwell kind of holiday that we have seen depicted in prints, but that isn't always the reality of the situation. That notion alone can bring about sadness, and instead of cheer, this time of year can cause great reflection. Reflection on what is missing in our lives.
All I know is when I came back home after shopping, in which I saw families out and about with their children, I came home in a terrible mood. I practically snapped Peter's head off when I walked in the door. We had talked about going out together for dinner, but I wasn't in the mood to venture back out again today.
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