Week 51: ME & The Holidays / ME: Looking Forward
Briar Marie - Me and the Holidays and Looking Forward: I spend the holidays in a mad rush of forcing moments. Ha! I want everything to mean something so much and I want it all to create real memories the way my own childhood felt and, to be honest, I just try too much. I actually kill moments in my attempt to create them. Moments create themselves. I just need to be the history recorder, not the history maker.
So, looking forward, I want to give up on that everything and everyone mentality. In my photography, it has been a long time coming, but the truth is that the best pictures only have one or two people in them. When I try to get everyone in, the connections are all lost. Looking forward, I want to remember that each of my boys are individuals and it's okay for me to have moments with them one at a time. I don't need my holiday cookie baking memories to be of everyone engaged at once. Because, let's be honest, they don't all love it the same. It's not even possible for them to all be doing something at once. And for my own personality, I can't even handle them all at once. I took an image of that first. But then I let it go. I allowed myself to realize that Middle Monkey is the one that loves to bake with me. He's the one that was connecting. And it's okay for me to have a moment with just the two of us. In fact, it's better. There will be other moments with the other two and I should be okay to capture those too.
Jenny Parker - The last few years, I have been setting up the tripod and taking our family picture for a Christmas card that my husband designs. Nothing fancy, just adds a little more character. This year, we taught our son, Everett, to say, "Mele Kalikimaka," and we've been listening to the Hawaiian Christmas song all month long. I really wanted it to be apart of our card this year so we would always remember how each time someone came and went from our house, every time we were at the store, Everett would yell, "Mele Kalikimaka!"
Jennifer L. Bruce - ME and The Holidays: Like everyone, I've been running around like crazy to "get ready" for the holidays. But really, it's about enjoying our time with family and friends, and taking joy in the simple pleasures in life. This plain-looking, brown baked good is no ordinary cake; oh no, THIS is the finest dessert in the universe. In fact, it's not a cake at all. This, my friends, when topped with golden sauce, is Sticky Toffee Pudding. It reminds me of Scotland, a place so special that my heart is truly at peace when I am there. It reminds me of hot tea, wooly jumpers, dreich weather, and a wee dram. This is my favorite, tastiest holiday tradition.
Kortney Fox - "ME and the Holidays, ME Looking Forward"
Like many, our house has been complete chaos the past two days, but a wonderful kind of chaos filled with magic and love. Oh how I just love this time of year!
As I look forward to next year I see a bright future and I am excited for what is to come, but for tonight I am just going to relax and soak in the memories of these last two days.
The littles are tucked in bed and it's time for mommy and daddy to crash on the couch, put on a Christmas movie, and enjoy these quiet moments spent together before the everyday reality sets in tomorrow.
Meghan Nesom - Needed a new profile picture and decided to rip off the bandaid and show everyone my new look. It was hard and uncomfortable but I'm glad I did it. Hopefully it'll settle some whispers.
Sean Holler - ME looking forward: For me looking forward has always been difficult, I had a painful childhood and the future always felt elusive, out of reach like I was subject to what was bound to happen to me. The past few years, and past year specifically I have spent much time in the past to heal so I can look forward. I now know that the past is just a path that has led you to the now, the future. So to understand the future, you must let go of all of the past pain and learn to accept it as just what was, to let go and surrender to the flow of life that is in constant ebb and flow with all living things. If we surrender to what is with all living things then we are in the flow of life, if we refuse to accept it and we resist, then we feel pain. It then stays inside of us like a plague, eating away at our soul... I have come to understand the teachings of the ancient ways, to love and cherish all living things, and to feel compassion toward all. To take our job of caring for others and for the gift of life and this world not lightly. It is truly a beautiful gift, and we need to be grateful for every minute of it. Even in the times it seems bleak, as it is opening up new doors and opportunities to experiences and live in the now. Me looking forward is the study of ancient Shamanism so I can understand our roots and how we used to cherish and respect all life. This is part of my life journey, to just be, living every moment in the flow of it and rejoicing and laughing along with it!
Adriana Meixner - ME Looking Forward: As I look forward into 2017 and beyond, this guy right here, my rock, my best friend, the love of my life, the best dad I could've ever dreamed for my children, the most patient guy I know and still the most handsome in my eyes, is never far from my thoughts. After seven years of marriage and counting, I look forward to spending more time together and growing as individuals and as a couple the best way we know how, with love, hard work and lots of goofing around, lol.
