Home for the Holidays
By Judy Parsons
4-H Youth Development Agent
The holidays are just around the corner. This is a time for family gatherings, parties with friends and fun times together. It can also be a time of stress for many. Does your life seem more like “Christmas Vacation” than “It’s a Wonderful Life”? The holiday season brings about nostalgia and emotions hidden in our lives.
Although there are some perfect families in our communities, there are more not so perfect families that we don’t even know about living among us. As families are divided by miles and new lives, traditions are harder to keep. Life is changing from the traditions the older generations have always known and loved.
Change is hard and it takes extra effort to create new traditions that fit the new family dynamic. Here are some ideas to start some new traditions and celebrate the holidays:
- Try some new recipes and bake with friends/family – Share your goodies with others
- Go to Fall Festivals or Pumpkin Patches and invite friends
- Take a single friend or elderly friends to an event or movie
- Attend community Christmas Concerts
- Start new traditions with family (Christmas doesn’t have to be celebrated on December 25th) – Be creative!
- Go caroling
- Read a Christmas book
- Attend Christmas Eve service – Invite a friend
- Have a holiday party – Keep it simple – Bring favorite holiday foods
- Go to a Christmas Movie – even on Christmas Day😊
The holidays are a good time to get creative and have fun. Get out a journal as this is a good time to reflect on all the blessings and fun you have had throughout the year. It is also good to reflect on want you want for the future year – changes, goals, events to attend, activities to do and things to look forward to.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are where your heart is. Celebrate all your blessings and the great things you have yet to accomplish. Have fun this holiday season with family, friends and even some new friends. Don’t stress that it’s not perfect. It will be what you make it.
