Monday, December 20, 2010

Holiday Moments

With Hanukkah behind us and Christmas just a few days away, I was thinking about what makes up "the holidays." Lots of memories go into filling up that yearly event. Basically, all those warm, fuzzy feelings are individual memories strung together like popcorn garlands.

A couple weeks ago we joined a group of friends for a Hanukkah party we've been repeating for many years now. I watched all the kids (who are all teenagers now) light the menorah and say the blessing. Warm, fuzzy moment.

I exchanged gifts with a business associate I've known for two decades. We know each other so well that our gifts have become personal - a favorite perfume or a new addition to a collection. Warm, fuzzy moment.

I just finished baking Christmas cookies with my daughter. We sat across the table from each other and painted icing and drizzled sprinkles and laughed and talked. About nothing and everything. Warm fuzzy moment. (Until she started feeling nauseated from all the frosting and cookie pieces she'd consumed!)

In a few days we'll drive around our neighborhood and look at all the Christmas lights and listen to holiday music on the radio. Warm, fuzzy moment.

For us it's not about which holidays we celebrate or don't celebrate. It's about making those moments the best they can be. A week after Christmas, my husband and I will toast the new year, as we've done for the last twenty-four years. Twenty-four warm, fuzzy moments.

I hope you enjoy every single moment of your holiday celebration, whatever that entails. And if something doesn't go exactly as planned, take away the best part of it and tuck it away like your holiday decorations, but leave the box where you can get to it any time you want.

Have a Merry Christmas and very happy New Year.

7 comments:

Michelle Polaris said...

The same to you Wynter. It's sweet to think of collecting all of those warm moments. May you collect even more.

Wynter said...

Thank you, Michelle. I hope you collect many, too.

Savannah Stuart said...

What a sweet post! I hope you have a wonderful rest of the holiday season :)

Wynter said...

Aw - same to you, Savannah.

Terry Odell said...

So true. It's about shared memories, and shared moments. We had our kids up for Hanukkah and our 3-year-old grandson had picked up on lighting the candles and saying the "special words" (although he can't say them yet.) He even knew about the Shamash. We let him hand out gifts--instead of tags, I'd put pictures of the recipients on each one, so he's learning about giving as well as getting. And he pushed the on and off buttons on the food processor when we grated the potatoes.

I baked the rugelach in advance, without my 'little helpers' who are all grown, but it's a warm fuzzy moment when they arrive and see the platter set out and their eyes light up.

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery




Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

Wynter said...

Sounds totally warm and fuzzy, Terry. What a great idea to use pictures for gift tags for him.

Dalton Diaz said...

I am bound and determined to not overdo this Xmas. I want to enjoy the warm fuzzy moments and remember them, not prep, prep, prep - damn, when is this going to end?