A Season to Focus on the Everyday Things

This holiday season, I’ve been working on pulling myself out of (yet another) negative spiral. These days, I can usually pinpoint the combination of events that sparks the spiral. Unfortunately, knowing the triggers has not yet stopped the beginning (or continuation) of the spiral.  Awareness of triggers is the first step and I need to keep working on halting the spiral before it starts.  But the past couple of weeks I’ve been working on stopping one I’m in, with a focus on the holiday things that bring me joy. Because “Tis the season”.

A line from a blog post from Everyday Gyaan really made me think about this season a bit different. [ Link here ]. She said, “Not every season is meant for growth that can be measured or displayed. Some seasons are meant only for survival and care”.  And so, this season I focused on the everyday things that bring me joy, to try and just breathe through the triggers and survive.

I don’t usually do photo-heavy blog posts, as I’m not a regular picture taker.  However, as part of the stop this spiral, I did engage in a number of holiday activities and took some pictures along the way! 

Lights, lights, and more lights. I really do enjoy Christmas lights. This year, I forced hubby to participate in not one, not two, but 5 viewings of various light displays in two weeks.  We did Florida Botanical Gardens after-dark lights, the downtown St Petersburg bay-front parks, a lighted holiday boat parade, walking through a well-lit local park after dark (Largo Central Park), and a drive-through a local neighborhood known for its light displays.

Holiday music. Yes, I am one of those who really does love Christmas music! I put a holiday music station on my car radio right after Thanksgiving and have been singing along when I’m alone in the Jeep. It helped as I realized that I lost all my Christmas CDs (and CD player) in the flood. We also stopped to listen to various music presentations during our botanical garden walk, went to a “Broadway Christmas” concert (hubby rolled his eyes for most of that one), and saw a wonderful musical rendition of A Christmas Carol.

Holiday gatherings with friends. I had more holiday gatherings than I had holiday shirts to wear! Both garden clubs had holiday lunches and one book club had our annual gathering with significant others (and a fun book exchange). There was a lovely ornament exchange brunch; a solo road trip to Naples for a girlfriend visit; and a enjoyable Christmas Eve dinner. These gatherings reinforced the friend’s support I do have around me.

There was also a cardio drumming glow party, a resin workshop with friends, seeing the Wicked movie, and a few lunches and dinners out. And yet, I also felt there was down-time, do nothing time, and breathing time.  I spent time thinking about the up-coming year (what to let go, where to focus), and contemplating a Word of the Year.

The focus on everyday things helped me make it through a challenging holiday season.  Challenges came with missing some of our old family traditions for the holidays. I had also hoped to see more house progress by now.  And there are conflicting feelings as I do my end-of-year contemplation about where do I really want to spend my time and energy.  But keeping the focus on holiday lights, music, and friends’ gatherings was the best thing to care for myself.

Do you love (or tolerate) the lights, music, and social gatherings of end of year holiday season?

Copyright © 2025 retirementtransition.blog – All rights reserved.