Day 23: Merry Christmas Eve Eve! (Feeling Emotional But in a Good Way?)
I don't know what it is about this December but it feels like Christmas literally came out of nowhere. It's like the whole world just skipped a week in the calendar and even though none of us were really ready we're just all kind of going with it. Actually, I do know what it is. I have never been so busy leading up to Christmas before. I think I actually forgot about. Even though I'm talking about it and planning for it, I never really stopped to realize that hey, Christmas is this weekend. You know that right?
And look, here we are! Christmas Eve Eve! What a day it's been! My first day off in several days and a dull one it certainly was not! It had a wonderful start (despite the early hour). It's kind of a tradition of a group of us to get together every year around Christmas time. We used to honour the tradition with a meal at Swiss Chalet, but this year because our schedules were so awkward and conflicting, we ended up doing and 8am breakfast, which I have to admit I might prefer to our old tradition. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some Swiss...but there is something about sharing the first meal, and the first couple hours of your day with people who matter that is just kind of...joyful. And while we decided to pool our money together and purchase some animals or other gifts for villages in countries that need help, one friend got us all a little something. We each went home with not just a disposable camera, but a new tradition. 27 photos, 12 months, and a yearful of memories - we are each to take photos of what we get up to each month throughout the year. And when we get together again a year from now, we will develop our film and share our photos with each other so we can see what everyone got up to. I thought it was a just a creative and thoughtful gift. Our lives seem to be getting more and more crazy and we don't know where our paths will take us, but we will always have that film to share our memories together and I think it's such a lovely idea. I felt so full of love and happiness for those guys. We're kind of a random group that somehow formed without even meaning to do it and now look at us.
After a lovely start it was time for a little family outing to the movies where we saw The Man Who Invented Christmas and it was so good. I was so into it. It was wonderful and it was so nice to watch it and then remember that it was actually going to be Christmas soon! It also inspired me to read more which I would really like to do because I like reading and it's silly that I don't take more time to do it. Perhaps it's time I pick up some Charles Dickens to add to my collection.
And the fun doesn't stop there but the rest of the day was packed full of last minute errands, cookie baking, and gift wrapping (If you think it took me 30minutes to wrap one gift, you would be right). And now I think it's about time I went to bed. Tomorrow is a work day and there are still some bits and pieces to finish up before the big day! I am looking forward to having everything done and just enjoying the moment.
It's been an odd day for me I'll admit. I can feel that my emotions are a little less stable today, and I'm feeling everything a little bit more than normal. I don't like when I get this way because it's so easy to pull myself down into sadness, and it feels so hard to climb back out even when I want don't want to be down there anymore. I have, however been trying to remind myself that even days like this can be good. I don't have to force myself to feel anything. I don't have to give in to negativity and decide that I am now "sad" and I don't have to be happy go-lucky "everything is perfect" either. I am trying to remember that this is what help me relate to others and connect with other people. It makes me who I am, even if it's not always convenient.
I am trying to just be.
And with that thought...it's definitely time for bed.