Category: Holiday Stuff

Dec 21

I’m Here

I need to sit down and write, because it’s cathartic for me. There are so many words, wrought with exhaustion of so many kinds, though, that the thought of sitting down at the computer makes me want to scream.

These last few weeks have been hard. Really hard, in various different ways. I think this season is hard anyway, though I refuse to let it overcome me anymore. It hasn’t been the season itself that’s been hard, but that it’s been wrought with so much death and loss this year, and the reminder of my grandfathers death, which happened a year ago yesterday.

And our server crashed at work, which, unless you’ve been through that, you really cannot fathom the stress surrounding it. The last two weeks have been completely tied up with what/how/why and thirty people wanting updates, and understandably so. It’s just been draining; there’s been no time for anything, let alone Christmas cards. And as odd as it sounds, one of the things that always keeps me sane is listening to Christian radio…but all they are playing now is Christmas music, which I can’t stand. I found out more bad news before leaving work yesterday and it was the last I could take. And so, sitting alone in traffic, I realized there was no better time like the present to just let it out. And I did.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!

Dec 06

And Then There Was Angela

There are times in life where you are forced to remember someone, and sometimes we have a tendency to romanticize those memories.

This is not one of those times.

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Angela was one of my coworkers, and as I sit down to even attempt to describe her, I find it to be a task proving nearly impossible. With an infectious smile and laugh, you couldn’t be anywhere near Angela without smiling. We always knew when Angela was here, because the general feeling of the office was…different. Lighter. Happier. Easier. Her eyes had a genuine sparkle in them; a sparkle that danced when she spoke of her two sons. She was in love with motherhood and her children; it was a role that she fit into perfectly. She was there for every doctor’s appointment, field trip, Boy Scout meeting (which she was a Leader of). Angela was full of grace and radiated happiness and pride. Even when things were bad, she never let it affect how she treated people; even looking at her, you would never know that she was going through hard times that would make any other person want to throw in the towel.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!

Nov 14

It’s Nearing That Time Again!

Last year I decided that I was going to stop being a Grinch during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas and force myself to celebrate the season. The link to the post is here, and while the picture is gone because I didn’t like it, the gist of the idea is still the same; I hated the holiday season and was a grumpy, miserable mess. I was over the idea of present-quotas, frustrated at the idea of buying things just to buy them, and had just become very disgusted with the holidays in general.

While I’d made the decision to end the cycle of angry holidays before I’d heard of RACK’ing, watching my friends perform Random Acts of Kindness helped me achieve it. There truly is no greater joy than blessing someone else for no reason at all. Here are some posts to look back at:

There is still good…

RACKing it up

You’ve probably noticed the Christmas decorations out already; it seems earlier every year, and every year, I grumble when I see it; until this year. This year, I saw it, and it reminded me of the miraculous joy of last year. I challenge you, dear readers (if y’all are still listening, I know it’s been a long time!), to dedicate this holiday season to experiencing true joy. Not going through the motions, but making the season about giving to those whose needs go unspoken or unheard. It can be as little as not taking the closest parking space you can find, or helping someone load their groceries, or as much as contacting your local Department of Social Services and asking to sponsor a foster family for Christmas. Foster families have very little money as it is, and holidays are especially hard financially. Sponsoring a foster family’s Christmas is huge, and it’s a guaranteed win. The kids have often been through very bad situations, so you not only get to bless them, but you get to bless the foster parents by showing appreciation for the true change they are making by taking in children that aren’t theirs.

That isn’t it, y’all. You have to click here to read the rest!