Humble Pie With A Side of #Get a Grip
Humbling: The word I would use to describe Christmas 2014.
I often write about how I have the best life and to live where you vacation. I’m a huge proponent of warm weather and will choose sunshine over snow 364 days of the year. There are however exceptions to every rule. My one exception is the month of December. I will tolerate weather under 70 degrees if and only if it occurs in the month of December, and snow only if and only if it occurs on 12/25.
The holidays are my favorite time of the year; a time of tradition and family. For someone who has moved at least once a year since I was 18 tradition and family are two things you tend to look forward to. This year was the first time in 30 years I did not spend Christmas or the holidays with my Maryland friends and family. It was the first time in 30 years that I didn’t wake up at my mother’s house and have my dad go into the living room to “see if Santa came”. It was different.
It’s easy to become consumed in our own egos. The holiday season is a time of seemingly universal joy and happiness. It’s pretty outrageous that my mind would even hint that the holidays are a time for me to think about all that’s missing rather than all that is present. Sometimes I have to give myself what I call a spiritual reality check, this was one of those times. Would it have been nice to spend the holidays at home? Yes. Did I survive without doing so? Yes. Does everything happen for a reason? Yes. Did Santa leave me a piece of humble pie with a side of #getagrip on Christmas day? Yes. So without further ado, here are the 6 most humbling experiences I had this holiday season…
Six Humbling Experiences of My Holiday Season:
1. There is major construction going on next to my new apartment. I really wouldn’t consider myself to be a morning person to begin with but to be woken up for 3 weeks in a row by hammers and nail guns it can really take its toll. The guys playing Christmas tunes from the radio made the noise a little more bearable.
2. December 4th, when I was walking Skyy I noticed a homeless man sitting under a tree at Bayview Park playing Christmas songs from his boombox. Later that night, he was still in the same spot so after our nighttime stroll I went home and made him a plate of shrimp fettucine alfredo, still warm from my dinner and walked it over to him. I introduced myself and told him that I enjoyed his Christmas tunes this morning and that I thought he might be hungry. He looked at me dumbfounded and asked me if I was serious. I responded “of course!” He cried and thanked me for my kindness. I smiled, shook his hand, and wished him a Merry Christmas. Tis the season!
3. December 14 I came home and noticed my Maryland flag was gone. I’m not sure when it happened but I posted a small rant on Facebook. One week later I received a replacement Maryland state flag from my buddy Mark in Maryland!
4. Friday I got a surprise Mary Poppins package from my lifelong friend Rachel. In it was everything from a shirt she had borrowed to housewarming gifts, but the most important item was this life changing gem:
Do you even have any idea how flipping delicious this is?! I’ve dubbed it “Heaven In A Bag”
5. Yesterday, my friends surprised me with a new bike! My cruiser was stolen a few months back and my friends all came together and got me a new one. My new whip has a bike basket, cup holder, and good time written alllllll over it.
6. Watching my favorite movie It’s A Wonderful Life and one of my new holiday favorites Meet Me In St. Louis. The first is a reminder that no matter what is happening, it really is a wonderful life. The second features the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and the words of the song have never been more meaningful…
Someday soon, we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now