December 4, 2020
For the last 11 years, on the first weekend of December, my family travels to Williamsburg, VA. My sister’s family comes from Maryland, my dad joins us from Emerald Isle, and we spend a lot of our time at Busch Gardens for their Christmas Town celebration. It’s festive – full of holiday cheer, music, lots of food, and visits with Santa. Honestly, it’s just magical. This is the first year since 2009 that we aren’t going, and it’s hard not to feel disappointed. We’ve promised ourselves and our kids that we will be back next year, which is something we have been saying so much. Just wait until NEXT year. I’ve begun to realize, as we have hit December, that in looking forward to all the “next years”, that we are missing the simplest things and traditions that mean the most THIS year. The simple things like walking down the preschool hallway and seeing decorations (and glitter – there’s SO much glitter) in each room, children playing with Christmas trees, dancing to Christmas songs, and making gifts for Baby Jesus. Simple things like observing the children create beautiful parent gifts (I’m not allowed in Luke’s classroom right now), playing with nativity sets and gingerbread men, and watching the teachers sneak around delivering Secret Santa gifts to each other. Simple things like really feeling that crackle of excitement in the air – because at the end of the day, Christmas season is upon us, and it is a wonderful, even if blunderful, time of the year. I’m looking forward to embracing it for all the simple things and seeing what new traditions come. It’s a joy to see it from the eyes of all your kiddos.