THE HOLIDAY SEASON...

This time of year is for most of us a time of joyful reunions with people we care about.  It is  a time where we exchange and share what we hold most precious and that which is our greatest gift.   LOVE!

We all remember the good old days when as children we would feel the excitement that this time of the year would bring.  All of the wonderful and not so wonderful surprises that were in store for all of us, we certainly like to remember the little jokes we played with our cousins that would come to visit us on this special occasion. We remember the feelings of joy that filled our hearts at the sight of the special gift that was under the Xmas tree that Santa carefully chose just for us.  We also remember the smell of an enormous turkey cooking in the oven and to this day that smell still brings that sense of comfort in our heart.

As we become adults we seem to  lose a bit of the essence that makes this joyful time a time of sharing.  We allow ourselves to be weighed down with the stress that accompanies the season.  We unfortunately let ourselves be guided with that obsession of the perfect holiday with the perfect gift, the perfect meal, the perfect decoration, the perfect outfit, etc...

When we stop to think about it, anything we decide is perfect when it is done with that natural idea of sharing with our love ones.  Whatever gift we chose to offer a loved one is the perfect one; the meal we share is the perfect one.  All of the effort that we put  into the holiday  and all of the sharing is what   transcends into happiness making these moments perfect.

The holidays are also accompanied with nostalgia.   Some have lost loved ones and every year these loved ones are dearly missed and remembered. For others the holidays are a time of loneliness because there is no one left to share this magical time of year with.   For some only the memories are left.  These memories are just as precious.

Some families have suffered economic loss and the holidays are not quite as joyful.  For others illness is part of their lives and the need for celebration is not quite as joyful.

No matter who we are, where we are, how rich we are, how poor we are we can all share a little more.  A nice candid smile goes a long way, understanding is always comforting, and taking the time to listen to someone who is feeling lonely is a perfect gift.  However and whatever we decide to celebrate the Xmas season sharing is not always accompanied with dollar signs.

Have a safe and happy holiday from all of us at Otraditionhandbag.com

Written by: Nicole Cousineau