Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season

A brief post just to wish you all a great Christmas and happy holiday season.

This is a time of the year that can have different flavors for different people. Some people approach it from a religious standpoint, others hate the commercial aspect of it and the sense of mandated cheer. Others, simply enjoy the festive time, the food, the lights and the traditions. There is a mood to this time of the year that many cherish.

Personally I have always loved Christmas, it was a big tradition for us growing up in Italy (I am British but I lived in Italy for a large portion of my childhood and adolescence). It was a time in which the extended family came together and we ate a lot and played a lot of games and puzzles and generally had a lot of fun. There was a pretty scheduled and traditional approach to Christmas, which also included midnight mass. We lived in Northern Italy, and it was always freezing cold at this time of the year, so it was a cozy time, to spend indoors, with family and friends. Lots of artists and musicians in my family, so it was also a time for music and beautiful decorations. My mum in particular was the tree queen, she made the most artistic trees every year. My mum brought the Nordic touch to the home.

This all sounds idyllic, but there were a lot of problems in our family too that seemed to magnify at this time of the year. As such, there was always a contrast between the energy that was set at the beginning of the holiday season, and how things actually turned out. My stepfather in particular, often became very volatile at this time of the year. I can remember some amazing Christmases and some that were very difficult and full of conflict.

As an adult, I often seem to be the one that goes all out in creating the Christmas vibes. I have hosted Christmas for people who are far from their families. or who do not have families, and I have also had my fair share of Christmases alone. This is a side effect of living on the other side of the world from family for the better part of 20 years. So I am familiar with both the great side of the holidays and the isolated and depressing side of it.

Interestingly my two best Christmases as an adult were very low key and off the cuff.

The first one, was a time in which my ex was supposed to do Christmas with me and then cancelled at the last minute. He dropped off my presents, which included a digital camera, and darted off. I was sad about the last minute cancellation, but immediately after received a call from my friend Pam, who was having a terrible time at a Christmas party with her abusive family. So I told her to come over and we spent the whole day sipping wine and taking photos with the new digital camera. We did not cook nor eat anything aside from cheese and crackers. We had a blast and I still have the photos of that day.

Another was a Christmas in California in which I had nothing planned, but popped over to my neighbor and friend Nan in my pijamas to wish her a happy Christmas and ended up staying there till sunset, drinking coffee and chit chatting about life. Neither of us got dressed that day, but we had a special day full of laughs and friendship.

All this to say, there is indeed a lot of good, some bad, and a lot of pressure around these holidays and special occasions, but sometimes the best things happen unexpected. As is often the case in life.

So, with this, wishing you the most magical and synchronistic time, with family, with friends or alone. Invite the magic into your life and see magic unfold. And if this is a difficult Christmas - as happens sometimes, especially if one is alone, or just divorced, or grieving or poor or homeless - there can be many reasons that this time of the year can be tough - invoke healing and resolution - healing during the isolation, healing for any grief or issues that may be occurring, knowing that this too shall pass, in time. In these cases the holidays can also be a time for reflection. A new year is soon approaching, and this can be a good time to take stock and begin seeding the intentions for the following year. I am alone this year and I will be using this time from intention setting and to rest and reboot. I have had a lot of health issues this year, and I am welcoming the opportunity to rest.

Sending you all much love, much healing, much comfort, many blessings

Katie