What can you do to make this an intentional holiday season for your family?
Happy Holidays Y’all! I will try to keep this short and sweet (I said I’ll try) because we are already in the middle of the season and probably have spent more time and money than we really wanted to. This holiday season, you may feel the need to try and make this the most awesome, greatest, magical season for your family because of the last couple of years we’ve had. And you aren’t alone, myself included. The past few days, I have been taking some of the gifts I purchased for the kids back because I had a feeling of sadness coming over me, looking at all the unnecessary things on top of things sitting in the bags. And instead of feeling inspired, I felt sad. I felt sad because these things were not what my family needed at this time for it to be beautiful. What they need now, and here on out, is to feel secure. Safe. Comfortable. More normal?
Now don’t get me wrong, I kept some of the gifts, but most I exchanged for more meaningful items they actually need or would help them grow mentally, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. I have a teen and a college-aged kid, so in addition to gifts under the tree, I’m stocking up lots of snacks, a few new blankets, new pajamas, candles, photo albums for them to look through, and firewood for some impromptu fire pits. And if you are the parents of teenage and/or college-aged kids, use this time to make lots of memories. One of the best things about the holiday season is all the different activities we have all around St. Louis. . Do all the things (almost all). Take all the pictures. Enjoy your family. Love on your family. Be intentional with this time. At this time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the commercialism side of the season in hopes of trying to make it perfect. Pinterest and Instagram-worthy. Fill it with lots of love and togetherness. Have a great rest of your holiday season, stay safe, and hug those babies small and big.
