When Holidays Collide, an ode to pre-Thanksgiving Christmas c h e e r

While I admit last week's weird, hotter-than-usual, November weather was pretty rad compared to snow storms and rain downpours...I'll also admit that a big part of me is ready for sweaters and scarves. This next week promises just that, rain and weather that dips into the 50's, so that's fabulous in my book. I feel as though I'll be happy about it for roughly 2 weeks and then I'll be over the cold again, but I'll plead not guilty until such a revelation comes ;)

And since we're on the topic of November. I know everyone thinks Thanksgiving gets little to no attention, and while that's true to an extent, I've had some thoughts brewing about that lately. For me, the Holiday season includes Thanksgiving and Christmas. Is this normal for anyone else? I always assumed it was, kind of until recently. Why does everybody freak out about people decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving? Is there a secret code somewhere that says "Green trees in homes wrapped with twinkle lights must not be looked at while one gives thanks"...?? Just because a person puts up a reindeer decoration and starts burning freshly cut pine scented candles, it by no means suggests they're any less thankful than a person who hangs a "Thankful banner," and sets their table with turkey place holders. Nope, it really doesn't. Look, I still have gourds and a scarecrow out...but I also have an elf on my kitchen table!

I understand all of the people who hate that it's become a pushed hallmark holiday and I'll agree with you wholeheartedly. Retailers have turned this holiday season into something it was never intended to be. So, let's take back the things we love about this Holiday season and just enjoy it. Enjoy the fact that people are excited for a season where they get to spend time with more family and carry on years old traditions. Understand that for some people, part of gearing up for the Holiday season includes decorating *gasp* BEFORE Thanksgiving, and they will still be just as thankful as you are when they gather with their families. For other families they're home suffers an identity crisis between elves and scarecrows while they're excited for both of the holidays around the corner.

*note* If you're one of these said "Holiday haters" before the day of Thanks, I'd hope you won't be wrapping up your goodbyes at 7pm Thursday night so you can stand in line at Best Buy ON Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving at 8pm is not Black Friday. By shopping on Thanksgiving, you've completely taken away somebody else's time with their family who is forced to work their minimum wage, retail job away from their families and contradicted your "no Christmas before Thanksgiving anthem." More often than not, these are the people who sing their Christmas anthems early in the season, but I felt as though it was important to note this :)

This whole anti all things Christmas before Thanksgiving has always baffled me, so I hope this opens some people's eyes to the fact that it really doesn't matter what decorations are up, what music is playing or what date Thanksgiving falls on. All people celebrate the Holidays in unique ways so let's not make people feel bad for enjoying things differently than you do. I for one, absolutely love to decorate for Christmas so I don't think I should have to defend that love to people who enjoy having turkeys all over their house. I'm really excited for Thanksgiving and don't plan to overlook it this season just because I have an elf decoration on my table and a Christmas movie on my TV.

Fall is still here but little by little winter is showing her crisp self to us which means we're nearing twinkle light overload [something nobody can be upset about], loads of Christmas posts, and vlogmas by some of my favorite youtubers. These are all things I'm thrilled about. You'll have to excuse me while I drink my pumpkin spice chai and watch a Lifetime Christmas movie.

See what I did there? Pumpkins colliding with Christmas ;)

Let's intentionally love who we are, shall we?

Comparison is a dangerous area to dip your toes in, yet somehow we all fall prey to it's tight grip on us. As an individual in a creative industry, fighting to make myself "stand out" among the rest of them, I find that I constantly compare my work, and myself to everybody else. Those little comparisons creep in, ummmm...daily. "I need to blog more, I need to have better material, my website is lame, my instagram isn't always cohesive like hers, my time management blows sometimes, I need more photo shoots, I hate that I still have a day-job, HOW do I organize my book keeping better like all of them...bla bla bla," insecurities, and comparisons daily. I'm no stranger to the ball park of "Everybody else is better than me, I should step up my game."

But you know what? I'm working as hard as I can to be the best person I can, serve my clients as best I can, make a caramel latte the best that I can and serve my friends and family with all that I have. So while I may not be as great as "so and so" and have a cohesive instagram and flawless brand for my business, I need to remember that having it all together isn't actually a truth for anyone. I know it's probably silly to say that because obviously we all know there isn't a person on this planet that totally has their life or business together perfectly. But sometimes vocalizing that truth helps it to sink in a bit deeper.

I'm an imperfect person, striving to be a perfectionist...where's the logic in that? God has given me and you specialized talents. We help each other grow in these areas by being as awesome as we know how at our given talents. We aren't expected to be perfect because God is the perfect One. Our job is to work hard to the best of our abilities, give every bit of praise back to God [you may think you're the most awesome person around, but it was actually God who made you super awesome, so shoot it back to Him mmkay?], and most importantly [well, not as important as giving God your praises, but for the sake of making a point here] love yourself and be proud of yourself. Be totally and completely proud of where you're at in life, and what you've accomplished thus far. It's really okay if it's taken you longer than other people to round out a goal you've been working toward for months or even years.

How cool would it be if when God looked down here at all of His children playing in this big ol' world, He saw us playing together nicely, encouraging one another and loving who we are? Loving the different journeys that we're on to becoming the people He's designed us to be. I think He would smile a great big smile and sigh happy sighs of "My kids get it, they get just how beautiful and perfect they are to me, doing what they were designed to do with the best of their abilities."


Be the best you that you know how to be. And to quote a wise man, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” -Dr. Suess

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florals by Thistle and Honey Floral