Happy Christmas
Such a difficult year.
So much out of the ordinary and out of our control.
As I tried to get excited about Christmas, I wondered:
How could Christmas be as it should be, MERRY, when almost nothing in 2020 has been as it should have been?
Merry /ˈmerē/Adjective
1: full of gaiety or high spirits
2: marked by festivity or gaiety
Festivity? Gaiety? High spirits? At the close of a brutal year? It felt like too much to hope for.
But then my daughters had a bright idea. Instead of going for normal in a year that has been anything but normal, why not do something different? They suggested we have a British Christmas—ala Charles Dickens . . . with roast goose and figgy pudding, and maybe even some wassail. The idea of changing our menu and a few of our other traditions sounded like fun.
We began doing research and making plans, and I started to feel enthused. After ten months of changes over which we’ve had very little control, making deliberate changes . . . ones we could control, felt really good.
And since it’s definitely been a “stiff upper lip” kind of year, going British seemed fitting.
Then, when I remembered that in the United Kingdom they say “Happy Christmas” instead of “Merry Christmas,” our plans made even more sense.
Happy /ˈhapē / Adjective
1: Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
If aiming for an exuberant, over-the-top holiday wasn’t in the cards this year, aiming for a pleasant and contented one could be.
Maybe adding peaceful and thankful was do-able too.
And so that’s what we’re doing—and that’s what I’m expecting.
I hope you are too.
Have a very Happy Christmas,
and may God bless us, every one.
Photo by S & B Vonlanthen via Unsplash
Blog Authors
About Kathryn
Hi, I’m Kathryn Lerro, mother of two lovely daughters, wife of one fine man.
After 24 years of wandering (thanks to my husband’s Air Force career), we are back home on the East Coast. We currently live in Philadelphia where I enjoy writing, taking long walks, decorating my front window in South Philly tradition, talking to interesting people and eating great food.
As I’ve met people on my travels I’ve become keenly aware that most of us could use a healthy dose of encouragement. It is for this reason that I try to weave a message of hope into everything I write.
About Mindy
Hi, I am Melinda Haas, but you can call me Mindy. A true introvert, I delight in solitude with a good book or a movie. I like dabbling in nature photography while taking rigorous hikes. I adore my husband who is a ton of fun. He shares my wanderlust as well as my appetite for Indian and Thai food. Very often, you’ll find us dancing to Cumbia in the kitchen while we make dinner. We also love road tripping and exploring new places. (New England is our new favorite!)
Through my writing, I want to encourage and embolden others to push past the limits they place on themselves. I want to help people see that they can accomplish more than they think they were capable of.
