thing #8: chestnuts roasting on an open fire
christmas.
i had a really, really good day today, hanging out with friends and new friends and family. it was just one of those days that make you feel really good, knowing that you're surrounded by so much awesome. christmas ties in with that, for me. it's not about the celebrations (because we don't really do that) or the food (because we're not fans of turkey or stolen) and it's not about the decorations (although, okay, walking down a dressed up orchard road, no matter how tacky, definitely helps with the christmas mood). it's not even really about the presents (because buying gifts gets harder every year, and the presents we receive seem to get crappier).
i just love the whole feel of it. like, some people say chinese new year feels different, like there's some kind of change in the air. i get all tingly around christmas, so i guess that's my equivalent. i love that it makes you think about the people in your life, makes you just that bit more appreciative, makes you a little less quarrelsome and a little more forgiving. makes you want to forge new relationships and reignite old ones. and i love that at christmas, nostalgia doesn't have to be a recipe for depression.
i miss my grandma, some days more than others, but this close to her birthday, thinking about the things we used to do, and how we'd come together as a family unit to make sure the fact that it was christmas never overshadowed her birthday; how we'd sit around talking at the dinner table, the carpenters and nat king cole serenading us in the background; how the kids would band together, choreographing mini-concerts to the wonders and dj-ing over the intercom in the meantime--
it's just a good, warm feeling.
i wish it could be christmas every day.
i had a really, really good day today, hanging out with friends and new friends and family. it was just one of those days that make you feel really good, knowing that you're surrounded by so much awesome. christmas ties in with that, for me. it's not about the celebrations (because we don't really do that) or the food (because we're not fans of turkey or stolen) and it's not about the decorations (although, okay, walking down a dressed up orchard road, no matter how tacky, definitely helps with the christmas mood). it's not even really about the presents (because buying gifts gets harder every year, and the presents we receive seem to get crappier).
i just love the whole feel of it. like, some people say chinese new year feels different, like there's some kind of change in the air. i get all tingly around christmas, so i guess that's my equivalent. i love that it makes you think about the people in your life, makes you just that bit more appreciative, makes you a little less quarrelsome and a little more forgiving. makes you want to forge new relationships and reignite old ones. and i love that at christmas, nostalgia doesn't have to be a recipe for depression.
i miss my grandma, some days more than others, but this close to her birthday, thinking about the things we used to do, and how we'd come together as a family unit to make sure the fact that it was christmas never overshadowed her birthday; how we'd sit around talking at the dinner table, the carpenters and nat king cole serenading us in the background; how the kids would band together, choreographing mini-concerts to the wonders and dj-ing over the intercom in the meantime--
it's just a good, warm feeling.
i wish it could be christmas every day.