Slowly we’re working towards the time of
the year I’m always
How that commenced, I do have a notion of
it.
As a little girl, I had a favourite spot.
It was the living room couch, where I loved to sit and read. Sometimes I hid my
face in the cushions to pretend I was elsewhere if something had upset me. And
that is exactly what explains my dislike for those days you’re meant to spend in
harmony with your nearest and dearest. For me, it lacked the harmony that I
absolutely adore. Please give me my peace and quiet to sleep, read, walk, watch
movies or do whatever I feel like. Please don't force or pressure or force me to do things I don't want to do.
With Christmas being Christmas, it seems
there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
Somewhere in the not-so-far past, I came up
with the perfect solution for my 'problem'. At least, that’s what it looked like
at the time. With a two weeks holiday at the end of the year, this was the
perfect opportunity to go on a trip.
On the first occasion, I found a perfect
destination: Egypt. A Muslim country, so only a minority celebrated. That suited
me just fine. I have nothing against people celebrating, it’s just that I don’t
want it to take over my life! Those two weeks were absolutely fantastic! Egypt
is one of my favourite countries in the world and I even had a lovely Christmas
diner with my friends.
We’re now about ten years down the line and
I’m looking at the matter from a different perspective. I’m done with running and
hiding. Spending thoughts on how much I dislike Christmas is simply taking up
too much energy that I don’t have to
begin with. So I’ve decided to turn my thinking around. Nothing should have the
power to annoy me anymore. I’m not even going to mention those things here!
Instead, I’m focusing on what is good about
this time of the year. Having two weeks off work. Spending time on the projects
I love and with the people I adore. The little things that come with the season:
coming home to a warm house in the darkness and lighting up the room with
candles. Watching lots of movies and reading books. Taking long, brisk walks
when the air is cold enough to make your face tingle. Running a hot, fragrant
bath.
And yes, meeting up with family and
friends. After all, they are my nearest and dearest. In the course of the
years, I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is obligatory and everything is
possible if you open your mind to it. Those people are the ones I want to have
close to me and spend my time with.
Photo from: http://www.denhaag.nl/en/residents/to/Ring-in-the-holidays-in-The-Hague.htm
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