Christmas is rapidly approaching. We have reached the 12 day mark, and the real count down has begun. This year, our family's Christmas and most of the year, has been spent in a serious disarray. With so much chaos this year, it's been difficult to find the solid ground I need to focus and feel like I have a handle on life. As I do daily, I have prayed for the great creator to give the strength to get through each day; help me to be the best Mom and wife I can be, and for my family to have what we need to live. As the year is now coming to end, I've stressed about so much of our lives. We uprooted, completely, in September and I've struggled to find my feet since then. However, one of prayers has been for a miracle. The miracle of getting back on our feet financially, finding a place where we can call home and meeting people that are truly good people. You know, the hardest part of everything this year, has been being taken out of my element and thrown into completely uncharted territory. The last several years, the idea of major change, terrified me. Well, major change began in my life, the beginning of 2016. In June, those changes began happening when my husband began a new job 300 miles from home. Then those changes picked up speed in September when we transitioned to a new area. All of the changes terrified me, yet I knew they were necessary. While I have enough intelligence to know these changes have been overall good for my family, I still struggle. I know the creator has a plan, and I'm just along for the ride. So, I'm pulling up my boot straps and ready to face this ride with my eyes open wide. Sometimes, we get so comfortable in the living we are making, that we forget to truly live.
We are excitedly counting down each day until Christmas, but now we have reached the all important "12 days till Christmas!" Our home is small, our finances are crappy, but our family is happy and overall healthy. We really have been blessed with so much hope, even with the massive changes, this year.
So many of the Christmas traditions today have derived from different nationalities and cultures. This is the season of celebration in most religions and faiths. December 21st, begins the Winter Solstice. This is not just the true beginning of Winter and the the shortest daylight hours, but also the beginning of the Yule celebrations, that last until early January. You have Hanukkah that is December 24th-January 1st. Kwanzaa is December 26th - January 1st. The Christian celebration of Christmas on December 25th. Many of the traditional celebrating that my enjoys, has been culminated from different traditions my husband and I had as children, but also some new ones we have built with our own children. In our home we wish everyone: Merry Christmas, Blessed Yule, and Happy Winter Solstice!
As so many of prayers have been answered, we have met some truly remarkable people, we have the necessities(even if we would like more), we have food to eat, a roof over our head, and warmth; we are truly blessed. With the recognition of these blessings, also comes a renewed sense hope. We are counting down to Christmas, but I am counting down to my birthday and the start of a new year, a new chapter in our lives.
Wishing you all a joyous December, whether you celebrate the solstice, Yule, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas; may you each be blessed!
Merry Christmas, Blessed Yule and Happy Winter Solstice,
From my family to each of you!
Salli
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