We took the holiday decorations and tree down and our final guest returned home yesterday. It was a busy, crazy, and positive holiday season. The busyness included lots of positive events including dinner parties, brunches, holiday celebrations, and local hikes, events, and exploration. The positivity included lots of shared love and support amongst many friends and family members, and the craziness included family members' differing schedules and availability as well as a number of viruses that were spreading causing disruption to our plans. As I look back at this year's holiday season, I want to bring the best of this year's and past years' holidays ahead. That means I want to bring ahead opportunities to celebrate with friends and family as well as a spirit of flexibility with the knowledge that plans will always change due to the changing nature of life.
What also worked with regard to positive holiday celebrations included the following:
- accessing tickets and reservations in a timely manner for get togethers
- our traditional decorations
- choosing a tree early and making time to decorate
- dedicating a few days to holiday backing and cooking
- purchasing gifts early and keeping gifts sensible, affordable, thoughtful
- making an effort to celebrate with closest friends and family members