We start a fire before dawn.
Mike in his chair and me in mine with three tiny pups somehow piled on top of me. The coffee takes the chill off and gives me more joy than it should.
Or maybe the joy is coming from the fact that today is the last Saturday in October, the day of our fall party. The 13th year we’ve pulled family and friends together to kick off the holiday season. There are over 30 of us these days and the number of Little’s is growing.
Even though I’m tired, I’m determined to squeeze every bit of good out of this day because after all, this day will never happen again. And next year…well there are no guarantees about the future.
The day unfolds full of moments to tuck away like the treasures they are. Laughter and hugs, babies on hips and catching up over hot cider.
It was a good day.
And the next morning, I woke to November!
Whether you’re an early Christmas decorator or one who holds to the “day after Thanksgiving” rule, the air is already charged with anticipation.
And why wouldn’t it be? November and December are the two months of the year that best lend themselves to celebration and memory making. Why not pause, right now before we’re caught up in the sheer joy of the season, to do a little planning?
As a young mother, one of my most precious memories was gathering in the den on Thanksgiving Day at my parent’s house. Gramma sitting proper, legs crossed and cradling a mug of cider, babies crawling all over, a fire warming the room and Daddy encouraging us to think back over the past year and share something we’re thankful for…the specifics of our gratitude might have been different every year, and some years there were tears as we thought back over hard times…a cancer diagnosis and Chemo treatments…but the essence was always the same…God has blessed this family -let’s remember and give Him thanks.
As for Christmas, my parents kept Christmas well. In my earliest memories, even before our family started regularly going to church, there was an undeniable focus on Jesus.
I have forever etched in my mind a Christmas Eve when Mom and Dad came into mine and my sisters bedroom right before bedtime. It was dark out, but the street lamp in front of our house spilled a blueish light onto the wood floors. All four of us knelt there, in that puddle of blue light, and my parents prayed. Although I have no memory of exactly what was said in that prayer, I remember feeling a sense awe. We, as a family, were kneeling and talking to Jesus. The same Jesus whose birthday we were celebrating. Amazing.
Our Faith in God and our focus on family is the essence of why we celebrate. There are lots of rituals and traditions we add to our celebrations, but they all flow out of that essence… our faith and our family.
So knowing the essence of why your family celebrates, is a good starting point for planning your holiday season.
Can you take a minute and ask yourself why? Why do I go to all the trouble to celebrate in November and December? If you have time, write down your thoughts…
The answers will be different for everyone, but understanding why you celebrate can help you know what to embrace and what to let go of in the coming weeks.
My hope is, that we can take a little time before all the merry making, to find inspiration for what matters most-with that in mind, I’m doing a series of posts…
~Next time, we’ll talk about celebrating Thanksgiving Day~
What a beautiful post today. Thank you for reminding me to begin my planning by reminding myself why I celebrate the holidays. I love them! They mean celebrating and being thankful for our Saviour and Lord. And they mean family, family, family! Love it all!
Nancy, I love your thoughts on celebrating my friend and I totally agree with you xo
Thank you for a jumpstart down memory lane. Your family memories are beautifully shared. Yes, the “why”
makes all the difference. I am now inspired to get ready to celebrate the season!
Jane, you have such a beautiful family and have always created good memories for your friends and family- sending love xo
What a great tradition! You really inspire me. God bless You and Mike.
Chrystal, thank you so much friend ox
I believve it is because you have a great love of family and the holidays are a time of gathering with the ones we love no matteer how crazy it gets, or how much work there is. The bringing together of your loved ones in the end, makes it all worth it. And, the warmth and peace you feel…there is nothing more gratifying.
I so agree with you Beverly! I love those 2 words…warmth and peace. That’s a wonderful goal xo
What a lovely, feel good post. Thank you for that.
Ilene, thank you friend xo
Oh Robin, this is such a beautiful post. I am in the thick of planning our Thanksgiving dinner at our home as my grandparents are no longer able to host anymore. I will take a few moments and ponder your questions. We even discussed thankfulness at church last night. 🙂 I’m even more excited for the holiday season this year because our daughter will be staying with us for over a month while her husband is out of the country for his job. I am thankful she works from home!! So, we have extra festivities planned while she is here!! 🙂
Gina, thank you friend! I’m so thrilled that you’ll be able to spend lots of time with your daughter this holiday season! Enjoy every moment looking forward to hearing more about your celebration xo
This post is so perfect….warm, sincere, heartfelt, meaningful and everything that I feel and believe about this time of year. In fact, I’ve found myself waxing sentimental this past week as I hostes my family to usher in the holiday season this past Saturday.
I’m looking forward to your series.
Sharon, you and I think alike 🙂 xo Happy November my friend xo
I start holiday decorating with Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I used to love making projects with my grandkids, but now that they are or almost are teenagers I simply decorate and make things to please myself. No one other than my husband will see my Halloween decor since we have no children in our area and the grandkids that live here are too involved to come over. Luckily, we always celebrate Thanksgiving at our house and we will have our Midwest family here for Christmas this year. It is all worth every minute to decorate!