Guest Post by Mama

The Christmas season is such a busy time of year. Whether you are a social butterfly or just along for the ride, you cannot help but have days full of unique distractions. It is easy to get caught up in the flow of cheer, excitement and hustle. For some, this is what the holidays are all about: going from one gathering to the next, seeing as many family and friends as possible. I think this is so much fun. Connecting with people you rarely see or just coming together in the same festive attitude is a fabulous blessing!

I also think that a more challenging scene to create, one often sacrificed to our full schedules is quieter, maybe less jubilant, but to me, much more precious. A fireplace, peppermint cocoa in a pot on the stove, immediate family, a Christmas movie, music or a board game, lights twinkling on the mantle, quiet darkness settling outside. I hope these will be our Sunday nights through the month of December…a time to put the world on hold for a bit and focus on each other and the important things of the Christmas season. Faith. Family. Love.

People often struggle this time of year, lamenting the losses they’ve suffered in their families. This will be the first Christmas without my grandmother, a dear uncle and most recently my husband’s brother, a loving uncle to our son. When put together, that sounds like a huge weight of loss on our shoulders. I have to say, though, they all brought such joy to us and our respective families around the holidays that I can’t imagine not celebrating the beautiful memories they left behind along with the tears we’ll shed at their absence. Nanny was the consumate hostess. Uncle Pachi lit up any room where there were children, young or old. Billy had one of the biggest hearts for his family I have ever seen. These are their legacies, things we must remember with joy and help our children to remember.

The holidays are a great time to reflect on our lives, things we’ve accomplished, goals we have yet to see fulfilled….especially with the New Year coming. I have never been one for resolutions, but it does feel like a great opportunity for self-evaluation. This year, we are expecting our second son at the beginning of January, so this rings even more true. The start of a whole new life makes you think about what you can change in yours, what you might do differently going forward. Maybe your goals are health or budget related. Maybe you want to excel at a new hobby, travel or change something about your character. I am certainly not saying you have to wait for the new year to do it, but it sure feels convenient to at least start thinking about it.

I don’t know what your holiday season holds for you. I hope it will be full of joy and love. Here at the Babcock House, our Christmas would not be complete without helping to provide a festive environment for our guests. We look forward to sharing the holiday season with you as much as those quiet evenings by the fire. You are one of our most cherished blessings and we wish every one of you the happiest of Christmases.