A new year, a new adventure.

[shiredancer]

Wow, so here it is, 2005. The holidays this year passed in a blur. I can't say I particularly enjoyed them -- they seemed rushed (but that's typical), and filled with obligations and worries. Mostly the worries had to do with my parents -- and I think that overall, that's where the problem lay this year. It was a transitional year for all of my family, as we have to figure out how to undo years of tradition and make them over into something manageable for two 84-year-olds who can't quite remember a lot of things anymore (though they're still sharp as tacks about general life). My sisters were fighting over the gift-buying-on-behalf-of-the-folks stuff; bad fighting, that spoiled the holiday spirit for one of them at least, and is untypical of my family. And I was uncomfortably aware of all the feelings and emotions spinning around me, and especially the frustration of my parents as they no longer had control over their own holiday traditions. We all need to be extra sensitive about that. It's just *so* understandable.

I'd expended so much energy on the Hannukah party and providing lunch for my co-workers, that I couldn't really think of Christmas until the 23rd. Add the record-breaking number of graduate school applications at my job, and I think I was just plum tuckered out for the holidays. Next year I'm going to scale back a bit and reserve some energy for me, I think. Y'all be witness to that, okay?

My favorite things this season? A box of sweeter-than-sweet seedless winter tangerines from Trader Joe's -- a truly sensuous experience. Kidlet's junior high school holiday choral concert -- fabulous and fun! My husband's annual Christmas concert of classical music and carols -- sweet and restful. New year's eve at home with homemade lentil soup.

Here's hoping this new year brings better things for the world and for all of my friends here, including a renewed sense of closeness and sharing. *HUGS*

Comments

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

*BIG HUGS*

I hope you find the path. next year, through the minefield of the holiday tradition shifting. It's very much a challenge, to be sure, keeping each of the generations happy, and still recognising the passage of time and the cycling of the generations.

I think I had a few of those same tangerines; weren't they FABULOUS?!?!

*raises glass* To the new year!

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

*Clink!* And to fresh starts!

Oh yeah, those tangerines were the greatest! So juicy, too. Mmmmmm.

Thanks for your support, lovie! I think this is just the start of a lot of transitions in our family. And I come from one tradition-bound family, too -- none of us deals with change well, when it comes to our holidays. We've been doing things pretty much the same my whole life... You should have seen the debates over what to eat for Christmas when we realized that another turkey dinner was just getting too hard! *Snicker* *Snort*

[nonniemous.livejournal.com]

Ouch, that's a hard transition with the parental units. And so much more not fun when the rest of the family isn't handling it well. **hugs** You're such a wonderful person to understand so thoroughly what everyone is going through.

HOlidays are exhausting even without all the transitioning stuff; not surprised you're tuckered out. I hope they were restful in the end.

and I want some of those tangerines! Ours weren't that good--but then I rarely if ever make it to Trader Joes.

**HUGS***

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

Well, m'dear, if you can swoop down for a quick visit, I'm still hoarding the last of the tangerines. *Smile*

Thanks for the support! As I mentioned to Lin, my family *loves* tradition and we've been celebrating the holidays pretty much the same my whole life, so that's a long history to undo. Personoally, I think it's nice to rattle things around and make changes once in a while, so I'll come through just fine. Hope everybody else can roll with it.

*Big hugs*, sweetie!