By Kathy Nicholls
What a wonderful way to take some time each day and look at some of the holiday traditions we have and share some of the things that make the holidays special for us. Today is day 10, and there are just 15 short days until Christmas. As my niece reminded me today, "Aunt Kathy, it's really more than two weeks, well, actually two weeks and two days."
In a previous post, we talked about how wonderful it is to do something for someone else at the holidays. Today I want to share how wonderful it is to be on the receiving end of that.
Yesterday was my birthday. Usually that's the "deadline" for to that means the decorations should be up. Well, this year it just hasn't happened. The guys in my house brought all of the things upstairs last week. When I went to put up the tree, lo and behold everything was in that box but the feet for the tree. I don't know if you've ever tried to put a tree up with no feet, but let me tell you, they just won't stand up! On Sunday, I went and bought a new tree, which wasn't an expense I had planned this year. I took it out of the box Monday, set it in the stand, and there it has set all week. By the way, with a real tree you can "let it fall out" when you set it up. Not so with a fake one!:)
Two days ago, I decided it just didn't matter. If it got put up, fine. If it didn't, that was fine as well. I wished it were up, but in the end, I just wasn't in a hurry about it. And yesterday was my birthday. I was not going to spend time putting that tree together and decorating the house.
I spent a wonderfully relaxing day. My husband, who has a tough time keeping secrets, gave me my presents last night. A funny story there. He is, as you know, from Barbados. Last Easter, we had to teach him about making Easter baskets for everyone. After he gave me my presents last night he said "I'm so sorry. I meant to get your basket done, but I forgot to go get the things I wanted." I got a chuckle out of that. I explained that we don't do baskets for birthdays, but we DO do stockings for Christmas, so he still has time!:)
I had a wonderful massage early in the afternoon and then headed to the nursing home to see my grandmother. I had decided that spending time with her was how I wanted to spend the afternoon. I took decorations and we decorated her room for Christmas. She didn't remember it was my birthday, but once we talked about it, she even sang me happy birthday. That was one of my highlights as every year of my life for as long as I can remember, she has always sung to me on my birthday. And today, when I really needed her to remember, she did.
On the way home, I stopped for a Starbucks and then headed to the house. Imagine my surprise when I walked up the stairs to find my house beautifully decorated, the trees (both of them) full of decorations and lights, and all of my Christmas things out in their place. My house was visited today by a Christmas fairy! She had straightened, hung pictures, put up lights, decorated the trees, everything all wonderful, sparkly, and it IS a holiday in my house. And that feeling of eone doing for you is like none other. I love you, my very awesome niece, and am blessed that you're my Christmas fairy today.
In a previous post, we talked about how wonderful it is to do something for someone else at the holidays. Today I want to share how wonderful it is to be on the receiving end of that.
Yesterday was my birthday. Usually that's the "deadline" for to that means the decorations should be up. Well, this year it just hasn't happened. The guys in my house brought all of the things upstairs last week. When I went to put up the tree, lo and behold everything was in that box but the feet for the tree. I don't know if you've ever tried to put a tree up with no feet, but let me tell you, they just won't stand up! On Sunday, I went and bought a new tree, which wasn't an expense I had planned this year. I took it out of the box Monday, set it in the stand, and there it has set all week. By the way, with a real tree you can "let it fall out" when you set it up. Not so with a fake one!:)
Two days ago, I decided it just didn't matter. If it got put up, fine. If it didn't, that was fine as well. I wished it were up, but in the end, I just wasn't in a hurry about it. And yesterday was my birthday. I was not going to spend time putting that tree together and decorating the house.
I spent a wonderfully relaxing day. My husband, who has a tough time keeping secrets, gave me my presents last night. A funny story there. He is, as you know, from Barbados. Last Easter, we had to teach him about making Easter baskets for everyone. After he gave me my presents last night he said "I'm so sorry. I meant to get your basket done, but I forgot to go get the things I wanted." I got a chuckle out of that. I explained that we don't do baskets for birthdays, but we DO do stockings for Christmas, so he still has time!:)
I had a wonderful massage early in the afternoon and then headed to the nursing home to see my grandmother. I had decided that spending time with her was how I wanted to spend the afternoon. I took decorations and we decorated her room for Christmas. She didn't remember it was my birthday, but once we talked about it, she even sang me happy birthday. That was one of my highlights as every year of my life for as long as I can remember, she has always sung to me on my birthday. And today, when I really needed her to remember, she did.
On the way home, I stopped for a Starbucks and then headed to the house. Imagine my surprise when I walked up the stairs to find my house beautifully decorated, the trees (both of them) full of decorations and lights, and all of my Christmas things out in their place. My house was visited today by a Christmas fairy! She had straightened, hung pictures, put up lights, decorated the trees, everything all wonderful, sparkly, and it IS a holiday in my house. And that feeling of eone doing for you is like none other. I love you, my very awesome niece, and am blessed that you're my Christmas fairy today.
How about you? Ever had a time when someone else did for you during the holidays?
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