All in Healthy Family
There is so much talk about New Year’s Resolutions which is inevitably followed by conversations about falling off the wagon. People, who can expect to do ANYTHING on the first of January? We are hungover, football games are on TV and many businesses are closed. It’s a recipe for being a sloth on a couch. Why would anyone think starting a new habit on January 1st was totally reasonable?
For the last fifteen of the 25 years that my hub has been in the NFL, I have stayed put for the holiday season. I was pregnant with our first child 15 years ago and once she came into the world, I became a mom so I didn’t travel anywhere for the holidays because logistically, it didn’t make sense. However, this year, for the first time since I became a mom, I am not home for the holidays.
Ok the title of this blog is not misspelled. I am aware that the phrase is Bah Humbug and it is what people associate with discontent around the holidays. I have purposely called this post Blah Hmmm Bug because I wanted to share a few things about the 2021 Holiday Season. But first, a Christmas story.
Recently the hub got a bump in pay which put our family in a very comfortable situation. Since then, it’s been eye-opening to see how people react to money. Everyone has a different relationship with money. For me, I’m afraid of money. It sounds dramatic but even though money helps solve many problems, I also know that money can destroy families. Our financial advisor predicted a few scenarios that would happen when my hub started getting a new paycheck and so when all of the predictions happened within months of our new situation, I decided to pay closer attention.
After 6.5 years of blogging about giving out thoughtful pinches to celebrate many national days, I’m not sure how I have missed writing about National Cookie Day. I mean, I have written about National Sugar Cookie Day, but not about National Cookie Day. So let’s get going!
People are either list makers or they’re not. Making a list brings peace of mind to some because when life is scattered, a list is comforting. If it’s on the list, it’s hard to forget. I always thought everyone made lists. However, I learned that some lists stress people out. To see the number of items on a list can overwhelm those who want to focus on the present moment.
Have you ever written a letter in hopes that the recipient would change some sort of behavior? Or have you written a letter in order to influence something greater than what is in your control? How about a letter to express your feelings? Maybe you’ve written a letter to clarify something that might have been misunderstood. It’s possible that you wrote a letter just to check in with someone, telling them what you’re up to and asking questions about what they’re up to.
Humans have an intrinsic desire to help others. No matter how small or large the contribution - in the form of time, energy, talent and/or financially - when we help others, it makes us feel good. Simply put: we volunteer because we hope that our help will help. Inevitably, we walk away feeling like we’re the ones who benefitted from the experience.
I am an ambassador for the company NationalDayCalendar.com and what I love about the company is that they keep us updated with every national day. The main reason why the information is important to me is because national days are opportunities to show thoughtfulness. Since National Candy Day is on November 4th, I checked out their website to see if I could relate to the theme of “candy” day. Jackpot! Nationaldaycalendar.com is loaded with great information about candy.
Last week, when we were on a trip, there was an opportunity for my daughter to choose a family member she would share a hotel room with. She chose her brother. After the initial shock, I was quite pleased that my children were getting along so well. Until I heard my daughter say, “If I stay with mom, it will be one lecture after another.” Ouch!
Dear Dad,
A little over eighteen years ago I remember feeling nervous. I asked if I could call you “Dad” when I married your son. I was under the impression that you were a tough guy so I wasn’t sure what you would say. Since I had lost my own dad three years earlier, I was hoping that you would say yes. You said, “It would be an honor if you called me Dad.” I wish you knew how much that meant to me.
If you want to give someone a thoughtful gift that means more than anything money can buy, give them your recommendation. Whether you recommend a restaurant, clothing store, book, dog groomer etc. the research you have put into the recommendation matters and so does your opinion. Also, considering the time that you spent to try a restaurant or shop at a store is precious so when you share your findings, it’s like you are giving away gold.
