Liz Rasley

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? So sorry about that. Life, sick kids, broken dishwasher and washer in.the.same.week and behind on all things Christmas, well, it all gets in the way of my me time, which is writing.

Regardless of all that, here’s this at least: a sincere holiday post and wish. Hope you all have good ones.

I’m sharing this post from my personal Facebook book page, because it’s relevant, I’ve already written it, and psst–I’ll be totally authentic here: I’m testing this. Testing to see if these (LENGTHY) Facebook posts of mine make good blog posts. Say what you will about me, at least I’m honest. And hey, you all be honest too-if you love it or hate it, let me know. That’s the beauty of a blog vs a journal–the people reading it get to tell you their opinion. Feel free to share yours with me.

So, without further adieu, here it is, and hope you enjoy. And Merry Christmas, y’all.

It’s the last lap of the holiday season, and we’re all merry at this point in my tiny neck of the woods.

We have (thankfully) decided that either the presents will get there in time or not, and on the latter, it may be no big deal if it’s late. There are worse things, worse fates, we’ve decided. For example, lots of the world’s issues for example, just pick one–would be bad, but the gifts being late? Eh, we can only control and worry so much. We’ve of course decided this now, after 20 some odd days of hustle, hassle, stressful late nights and worry. We’ve decided only now that it’s ok to give ourselves a break, enjoy the season, maybe even a smile or two and kick up our feet while enjoying the season instead of fretting about it. This tends to be my typical holiday season mode of operandi, and each year I swear I’ll learn from the last, and yet, here I am again. Thank goodness for grace and the hope of another year.

We’re also suddenly kind to each other now—when we see a parking space, no, no it’s yours, go ahead, we wave to the other car, hand grandly out to the right like a butler gesturing you to enter a room. You first, we say with a smile when days before we would have thrown a fit, cussed, maybe thrown a finger also. But we all realize we’re in too deep now, it’s going to happen or it isn’t, and so now we have the time to be kind. If only we could remember this the other 364ish days of the year, well, we’d perhaps be in a more peaceful state

Around here we’re baking cookies for Santa, trying to relax and take naps. We are busily wrapping, cooking, hiding all the laundry piles and changing bed sheets for the guests. As if there isn’t enough I’m already trying to do, I’ve decided I’m going to create reindeer “tracks” on our front lawn for the kids (mostly the older one) this year. It will be a cool holiday effect hopefully: visible, tangible tracks of glitter and sequins and pom-poms and all other things that kids translate as ephemeral, magical and full of lore. Wish me luck and patience, especially for B as I’m not sure how keen he’ll be about finding glitter in our grass 6 months from now.

If you’re a certain sort, you’re also aggressively planning play dates and activities for your energetic little ones, because, well, after the gifts are opened and well-played with, the food and relatives gone, there will still be 6 hours left on Christmas Day. There are only so many non-breakable things in your house but the proportion of breakable things to your child’s energy is immeasurable. We’re very familiar with this idea so if you’re around the DFW area this holiday season, let me know. The wild pony that is my daughter would love to play with your children, and we have days to fill and in my daughter’s eyes, naps to continue to avoid.

It’s also the time to count again all our blessings and what we’re thankful for. My annual holiday tradition is buying an ornament that sums up the type of year we’ve had, and 2013 was faux popsicle. Fitting for such a year full of so many beautifully sweet and sticky things. Much like life itself: sticky and sweet.

I have, of course, written too much again. But through all this—I sincerely hope you and yours have good holidays. Here’s a wish for holidays full of warmth, love, and of course, mirth and gratitude, the parents to true joy.

I hope you enjoy it all—too many wrapping paper messes, late bedtimes, eggnog and uncomfortable tight hugs—all, my friends.

It’s a crazy, messy, but lovely, life that we get to live.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays y’all.