Saying Goodbye to the Holidays

There's something really bittersweet about the holidays coming to an end. All of the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone; Christmas lights are unplugged; all of the Christmas trees are brittle and burned; and all of the New Year's confetti and hats are packed away until next year: the bitter part of the ending of the holiday season. The sweet part? That we have a new year to do with what we please. We can make something new for ourselves: get a new job, work out a little more (that's definitely one of my resolutions!), go back to school, or make new relationships with other people. 

My holidays were just so special this year, I feel, that it's almost difficult for me to put them behind me. With the economy in its current rut, the holidays proved to be a lot simpler than most. However, I think that I was able to discern a stronger meaning of the holidays from the simplicity. On Thanksgiving most of our family was able to get together at my house. The conversation and good food were more than enough to satisfy everyone. We took turns going around the table to say what we were most thankful for. I love my family. On Christmas Eve my pastor gave a sermon about rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe we needed to throw away some of the excess that was distracting us from that true meaning: overly expensive presents, extraneous invites, and stress might be some good considerations. I think that our Christmas did carry the true meaning. It was about spending time with our family and acknowledging the day that Our Savior was born. It involved relishing in the time we had together, whether it was cooking in the kitchen with my mom or working on a puzzle with my dad. And New Year's? Well, I got to spend it with some of my best friends and be a little bit silly. 

Last year was such a great year. I traveled the world! I made new friends, I got a new job, I'm getting closer to my career... I don't want to see those experiences go behind me. However, I realize that this upcoming year can bring just as many amazing experiences for me. Like I said, I'm still kind of overwhelmed at how bittersweet it all is. Another year gone, another year to come... another year to grow older and wiser (we always do).