(no subject)
My recipe for a perfect Christmas involves only one person -- my dad -- and I was fortunate enough to have him here with me on my favorite day of the year. Although he was only here for a few days and both he and I were sick for part of that time, it was still great because spending time with him tops anything else I could ever possibly want to do.
Christmas has always been special to me, not because of the gifts, but because of the atmosphere and the love behind it all. The music, movies, cheer, kindness, generosity, etc. make it almost therapeutic to me. In short, I wish every day could be Christmas.
That said, I view the presents as sort of an added bonus, and I did receive quite a few wonderfully thoughtful gifts this year. For starters, my dad got me a beautiful diamond and sapphire necklace -- the stones alternate from sapphire to diamond in a circular pattern. He got me a lot of other stuff, too, but the necklace really put a smile on my face, not only because it was beautiful, but because he really knows what my taste is in jewelry (and a lot of other things, too, which is great considering he's a guy!). My grandmother gave me some gorgeous pearl and diamond earrings -- the kind that will compel me to actually wear earrings even though I typically don't on a daily basis. My godmother, who I haven't received a Christmas gift from in probably about a decade, got me a gold charm bracelet with a "#1 Godchild" heart-shaped charm on it, the back of which was engraved with "Love, Aunt Jo Ellen 12/25/06." These are gifts I could never forget receiving even if I tried.
There was one other gift that was memorable, from my stepmom, which was a tin full of cookies. They're called peanut blossoms and they consist of a peanut butter-flavored cookie with a Hershey kiss in the center. They were my favorite cookies that my grandma used to make, and although they didn't taste exactly like Grandma's (even though the recipe was the same), they were close enough to make me remember my grandma in such a simple yet meaningful way. It was the least expensive gift I got this year, but it was one of my favorite nonetheless.
Speaking of my grandma, it's no secret to my friends that I wear one of her wedding rings on my necklace every day as a way to remember her and keep her close to my heart. I always face a dilemma when I get new jewelry, especially necklaces, because I have to decide whether to continue to wear my grandma's ring every day or wear some of the new stuff I got. I've given this a lot of thought over the past year or so, but for the first time since she died last December, I don't feel guilty about not wearing her ring every single day. I still miss her like crazy and think about her all the time, but I've realized that I don't need to wear her ring in order to have her close to me. The fact that so many day-to-day things remind me of her and make me think of her means she's already close to my heart because she's tucked right there inside it -- and nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever take her out of my heart. I will still wear her ring and her cross on my necklace on some days, but I'll make room for the other beautiful and thoughtful gifts of jewelry I've received from other people as well.
Overall, this year will be ending well, and I hope more than anything else that the new year begins with the same level of gratitude, happiness and love I'm feeling right now.
Christmas has always been special to me, not because of the gifts, but because of the atmosphere and the love behind it all. The music, movies, cheer, kindness, generosity, etc. make it almost therapeutic to me. In short, I wish every day could be Christmas.
That said, I view the presents as sort of an added bonus, and I did receive quite a few wonderfully thoughtful gifts this year. For starters, my dad got me a beautiful diamond and sapphire necklace -- the stones alternate from sapphire to diamond in a circular pattern. He got me a lot of other stuff, too, but the necklace really put a smile on my face, not only because it was beautiful, but because he really knows what my taste is in jewelry (and a lot of other things, too, which is great considering he's a guy!). My grandmother gave me some gorgeous pearl and diamond earrings -- the kind that will compel me to actually wear earrings even though I typically don't on a daily basis. My godmother, who I haven't received a Christmas gift from in probably about a decade, got me a gold charm bracelet with a "#1 Godchild" heart-shaped charm on it, the back of which was engraved with "Love, Aunt Jo Ellen 12/25/06." These are gifts I could never forget receiving even if I tried.
There was one other gift that was memorable, from my stepmom, which was a tin full of cookies. They're called peanut blossoms and they consist of a peanut butter-flavored cookie with a Hershey kiss in the center. They were my favorite cookies that my grandma used to make, and although they didn't taste exactly like Grandma's (even though the recipe was the same), they were close enough to make me remember my grandma in such a simple yet meaningful way. It was the least expensive gift I got this year, but it was one of my favorite nonetheless.
Speaking of my grandma, it's no secret to my friends that I wear one of her wedding rings on my necklace every day as a way to remember her and keep her close to my heart. I always face a dilemma when I get new jewelry, especially necklaces, because I have to decide whether to continue to wear my grandma's ring every day or wear some of the new stuff I got. I've given this a lot of thought over the past year or so, but for the first time since she died last December, I don't feel guilty about not wearing her ring every single day. I still miss her like crazy and think about her all the time, but I've realized that I don't need to wear her ring in order to have her close to me. The fact that so many day-to-day things remind me of her and make me think of her means she's already close to my heart because she's tucked right there inside it -- and nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever take her out of my heart. I will still wear her ring and her cross on my necklace on some days, but I'll make room for the other beautiful and thoughtful gifts of jewelry I've received from other people as well.
Overall, this year will be ending well, and I hope more than anything else that the new year begins with the same level of gratitude, happiness and love I'm feeling right now.