Friday, December 23, 2011

The Adventure of Finding Christmas Spirit and the Girl in the Red Bug

I have always found the holidays, all holidays, a contradiction in terms; but more specifically I find Christmas, and what I actually observe and feel about Christmas, to be a huge contradiction in terms. I find myself, more often than not, addicted to the melancholy during the holidays. Christmas to me is a mixture of  joy, laced with sadness, and a pinch of longing for something different, perhaps something more. It’s a time of year, where I assess all the blessings and gifts that I have in my life, while having the things that I deem lacking in my life polarized and intensified.
I hear people say, “Remember for the reason for the season,” “It’s not about the gifts,” and various other cliches, that are used to describe, “The most wonderful time of the year.” Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept of Christmas. I have longed for, for most of my life, the It’s a Wonderful Life, Little House on the Prairie, Walton’s kind of Christmas; a type of Christmas that I am sure only exists in a Hallmark, made for TV movie.
So, how does one get around the melancholy of Christmas, the disappointment of hearing a bell ring and knowing that it’s only a bell ringing, not another angel getting its wings? For me, I have to seek out, or in some instances create, moments that lead to joy. Joy really is all around me if I look for it. Joy can be making a batch of caramel corn with your sister, having dinner with your family, receiving a batch salsa from a friend; joy takes on many forms and is something that is individual and unique to each of us. Joy to me, is the small things in life that create something more grand. It isn’t one day out of the year where people are expected to “provide good will towards men,” it’s the everyday random acts that I find joyful. Jf it has to be labeled and only acted on one day of the year, is it truly Christmas spirit?
I pray that for the coming year, that each of us experiences the true joy of Christmas on a daily basis. That we will take time out to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, each and every day, not just on December 25. 
Until the next time...The Girl in the Red Bug

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Adventure of the Amazing Posse and the Girl in the Red Bug

I have been really missing my posse lately, my “besties,” my girls ~ the ones who know me, know me and love me in spite of me. What’s a girl to do without her posse? With age, increasing responsibilities and decreasing time, relationships of all sorts can be challenging to maintain. Challenging...but yet completely worth it. They are a life support, so to speak. That connection with the ones that know you like no other, the ones you laugh with, the ones you cry with, and the ones - who at 46 years old you can still pile onto bed with, on a girls weekend, and talk into the night, just as you did when you were teenagers. 
This got me thinking, what can I do to bridge the gap of time differences, geographic locations, family and work responsibilities? You know, the basic day-to-day life that gets in the way of relationships, in general.
Until Daylight Savings Time, my friend Karen and I would talk in the early morning, on our commutes to work. She is in California and I am in Arizona and it worked out perfectly. I would get my coffee, get on the phone, and the commute didn’t seem so long.  It felt like I was sitting and having coffee with one of my most treasured friends. Since the time change, our chats have been more sporadic and I miss my early morning talks. What a wonderful way to start my day. It’s challenging to get that dedicated time to talk and connect, without interruption, or rushing to the next thing on our To Do List. 
So, back to my "what I can I do to bridge the gap?” Be more organized! Yes, it is true...organization is the key to everything! I want to set specific time aside to set-up a call with my friends. Instead of just calling when it is convenient for me, or on the fly, establish a consistent day and time to talk - just as I would if we were in the same state and we were going to lunch, or coffee. Make a date, so-to-speak!  Also, I don’t want to limit my connections just to telephone conversations, I want to be better about sending notecards throughout the year - you know that good old-fashioned, handwritten correspondence (this will also help out our US Postal Service!). What is better than getting a note in the mail from someone!? 

What are your thoughts on bridging the gap? How do you, or will you, connect with those that are important to you?
Truly giving of ourselves and connecting with others is one of the greatest gifts we not only give ourselves, but others as well. So who do you want to give your first gift to? Take a moment to connect with someone.

Until then...The Girl in the Red Bug





Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Adventure of the Lost Year and the Girl in the Red Bug

Today, I was going through photographs so that I can put together my yearly Christmas card. I started doing a “Favorite Things” type of Christmas card last year, kind of my own Oprah moment (without the free audience give aways, of course!). I realized, as I was going through my photos, I did not have as many "adventures" this year as I had hoped I would. I did A LOT of working this year and although I love my job and am blessed to be working for a company I like, with people that I truly enjoy and have a deep respect for, I have realized that my work/life balance was off this year. Of course, when you begin a new job, I think that is to be expected. 
But, as I was going through the photos of the year, I began to think of the adventures that I want to have in 2012, the places I want to go, and most importantly the memories that I want to create and chronicle. We only get one chance to go through this life and I want to create and capture moments that are important to me and that I can share with others. I want the adventures that I have, to show who I am and what I am all about.
What will be on your “Adventure List” for 2012? Have you started thinking about it? A couple of things come to mind for me, off the top of my head:
Go to church more
Participate in a Bible study 
Complete the Midnight Madness 5K - on December 31
Be able to run six miles, without stopping
Complete two runs, in states other than AZ
Get together with my besties, I miss my girls
Have a great trip with my family
This is just the beginning of my list. I will continue to add to it and republish. I’d love to hear what “adventures” you are planning for 2012. 
Until then....The Girl in Red Bug