The Day After

So, I am back to work after Christmas. The most annoying thing about doing that is the constant annoying question: "Did you have a good Christmas"?

Why do people always ask that?? My response is always the same, "It's hard not to have a good Christmas" when I really want to say... "that's a stupid question"! I then feel compelled to ask about their Christmas and then spend the next 15-20 minutes hearing about their day in great detail.

What would they say is my response was "No, my dog died, the Christmas tree lights caught the curtains on fire, the firemen saved the Christmas turkey just in time for Uncle Pete to show up with his 8 snot-nosed, sickly kids all under the age of 5. Oh, and let's not forget that the septic tank backed up and the tubs and commodes over-flowed!" Good times!! Even IF all of that happened, who would actually say anything different other than, "It was a nice Christmas"?

Maybe I'm just not a sharer of my personal business at work...or even in my personal life. I prefer to keep the details of what actually goes on in my life private. Even those I consider 'friends' get the glossed-over, high-level version.

So - for the record....I had a great Christmas!

Peace!

The Heaviness of Holidays

What's wrong?

I get this a lot lately.

I try - and want  - to be jolly and 'all in' to the Christmas season.

I really do.

It's just....

I miss them.

I miss them so much.

My heart still clinches in grief.

It's been four years now (soon).

You are bleesed...look at what you have been blessed with

I hear that a lot too.

I'm Blessed...I'm grateful.

I still grieve.

~ Peace

Sometimes....

Sometimes I dislike the job that I love!

It's emotionally tough at times.

Such is the job of an HR Manager.

That is all!

Peace

Coming Around the Back Stretch...

Today is the LAST pay day before Christmas!

Whew!

I have finally finished all of my Christmas shopping for our large family (8 adult and 3 grandchildren)! I'm broke as a piece of peanut brittle (oh, yum!!!) but I am so glad that's all over! Now as we roll around to the back-stretch I have one more special person - my Husband - to shop for; and two weeks to do it...well, 1 1/2 weeks.  Can I just say out loud.....once children grow up and become adults, and as my husband and I grow together, it sure gets harder and harder each year trying to think of just the right gift(s) to buy!!

Each year I swear that I'm going to start early saving money and shopping for gifts - but that never, ever happens! Fortunately, this shopping season hasn't felt the least bit stressful and I haven't spent more than I have in Christmas' past. That in itself is a bonus for me!

The tree's not up, decorations are still boxed in the garage, nothing is wrapped or boxed for shipping. Hmm, well, I'm almost there....I see the finish line up ahead.

Soon the race will be over and a New Year will be nipping at the heels of Chistmas day.

Cheers!

Peace!

You Can Lead a Horse to Water....

Family picture day came to the Richardson home along with Thanksgiving and a full house! I spent hours selecting a photographer, securing a venue, watching the weather forcast, combing Pinterest for ideas on large group photos (13 of us in all), individual family shots, parents and our children shots. The photographer and I exchanged lots of other ideas and had a plan going into the session of just what I wanted her to capture. We wanted to get all of the 'posed' shots out of the way first then move to something more 'real'. The only thing we didn't plan on was the long faces, rolling eyes, whining about not wanting to do it, or the comments because it was different than 'they' thought it should be, and so much feet dragging that you would have thought I had ask everyone to walk the green mile. As the session moved forward the worse attitudes became until I couldn't ake it anymore. My heart was discouraged and broken that I finally pulled the plug and requested no more pictures. Even the photographer felt the disgruntled energy and she pulled back - but even then she kept asking me if I wanted to continue and get some of the shots we planned; I just could not take it another second. I left there heavy-hearted that no one cared how much this whole thing meant to me; enough to even fake it.

So pictures finally came in and I'm hearing how disppointing they are (really?), how some are good, some are not, or they look "nice" (like I can't read into that one). I love how no one wanted to do it in the first place and now they don't like the pictures. (?) what did they expect? I'm trying to guard my heart on this one because my feelings were and are hurt. There are no do overs here. This was a one-shot opportunity.

All in all, the pictures I received are printable and are fine for my needs. A couple are actually fantastic! Unfortuantely, the damage has been done and instead of looking at them and remember such a wonderful family moment captured on film, I will only remember the sadness of the experience.

I have made myself a solemn promise....I will never, ever, ever put myself or the family in this position again. This was the very last full family picture.

Peace

Couldn't You Just

Be happy for what you have instead of bitching about what you don't?

Say "Thank you" or "That's wonderful" rather than cop the attitude that it wasn't enough or to your standards?

Accept the differences between you and everyone else and not make comparisons?