It’s no secret. Ginny and I love the holidays.
Why? Spending extra time with family and friends, enjoying the sounds and tastes of holiday cheer, and finding moments of quiet, reflective time to “be” in the season and go deeper.
We know that holidays can be difficult for some who have lost loved ones, find themselves alone, or just aren’t feeling the holiday spirit.
If you find yourself in a not-so-festive mood and your childhood memories were happy ones, try one of the Wisdom from the Woods strategies of “remembering.”
Ever feel nostalgic when remembering?
I learned that the word nostalgia is a formation of a Greek compound, consisting of nóstos, meaning “homecoming”, álgos, meaning “pain” or “ache.” It was first used to describe the feelings of being homesick, wanting to return to home.
Home can be a physical, geographical location, but also can be a place where our soul lives. Have you returned home to your soul lately… or has the busyness of the season kept you away?
For me, I love remembering the anticipation as I marked the days off the December calendar as an elementary school student. There were big X’s leading to the day when our two-week, school-holiday vacation started. On the last day of classes, the last period of the day was devoted to our “going home” party. “Room mothers” would bake treats and make punch (for some reason, always red Hawaiian punch with 7-Up…lol) and we could devour cupcakes, waiting for the final bell to ring. Then, it was holiday time!
The days leading up to our departure from school were filled with Christmas plays and concerts—both school and church, decorating bulletin boards with construction paper cut-out Christmas trees, and learning about the holiday customs of other countries. Simply “remembering” makes me smile and enjoy present-day holiday activities even more. I love episodes of Rick Steves’ travel documentaries showing holiday celebrations in other parts of the world; YouTube vloggers have joined the rank, showing their own travels and different cultures of holiday festivities.
Holidays are an opportunity to journey within.
What are your favorite holiday traditions? What are your favorite memories that you could reclaim now? Where will you find that space to feel at “home” and connect to your soul?
Ginny and Jim will fly to Chicago and Fond du lac to celebrate with family and friends; Steven and I will stay in Dallas celebrating with close friends and calling/Facetiming family.
Whatever your holiday plans – Ginny, I, and the WFTW team wish you the best for the season!