THE 12 DAYS OF CHAOS BEGINS
The holidays. Can’t live with them, can’t ignore them. (Well you can but then everyone thinks you are a scrooge.) They are here and with them comes stress no matter how much you try to simplify your version of them. It also brings about the end of one year, the start of a new one and the idea that you need to make resolutions, prepare for renewal and get closure.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have noticed several common themes amidst friend’s posts, articles online, and personal conversations with family and friends. These things became even more clear to me after seeing the new movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. There was a quote in it (and ultimately Mister Rogers himself) that really resonated with me. “There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.”
This statement is so true but the catch is that everyone deals with this pain and the curve balls of life differently. It made me realize the following is happening right now in our world:
1. Everyone has sh*t going on. Some people choose to post it on social media, some people do not but either way everyone is going through something whether you can see it or not. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E. No one has a perfect life. This brings me to the second thing I have noticed. 2. There is often a big difference between your Facebook life and your real life. I personally choose to not post everything that is going on in my life. It doesn’t mean that stuff isn’t going on behind the scenes that is sad, awful, hard, or ugly. I just believe that my acquaintance from 3rd grade that friended me 5 years ago but I haven’t actually seen in person since they moved away in 1986 needs to know every interworking of what is happening in my life. I am not trying to hide anything or project that I have a perfect life. Far from it. I just choose to focus on what makes me happy and share those moments on social media. 3. Everyone is stressed and running against the clock. No matter what your situation is, the holidays hit everyone hard and in different ways. It’s a time of year when we especially need to show a little more grace, forgive one another, and let go of what we can so we can enjoy a little bit of magic perhaps. But we also must embrace the chaos and find the humor in our lives. Which brings me to my point…
As I have not gotten a holiday card together or even scheduled our annual family photo shoot, I have decided that I will post a Facebook vs. Reality every day for the next 12 days leading up to the “Big Show” a.k.a. Christmas. It will be titled “the 12 Days of Chaos.” I am not doing it to garner sympathy or to complain. I know how fortunate I am. I am grateful every single day for everything I have been blessed with. I know how lucky I am. My hope is that this gives you a laugh when you need it. That others of you can commiserate with me on the chaos of the holidays, parenting, or just life itself. But mostly this is to remind myself a few years from now what life was like at this point in time and hopefully (fingers crossed) look back laugh it at. Because after all, if you don’t laugh somedays – you’ll cry! Enjoy!