The Overflow

The holidays were a bit hectic. I had been looking forward to them for months. It would be Chloe’s second birthday, Sara would be coming into town and I was thrilled by the thought of spending time with family members that lived so close yet seemed so far away. Once the holidays were upon us the excitement quickly disappeared. Anticipation was replaced with exhaustion, family time crushed by deadlines and rushed greetings. Christmas ended up not feeling like much of a Christmas at all. I blinked and it was gone.

I guess this is why I love taking pictures so much… because when the anticipated time comes, it never lasts as long as you want it to or it doesn’t exactly go as planned. Such is life. This year also made me realize what I do not want to do next year. The holidays are too focused on shopping and presents and trying to please everyone (and we all know that is never possible). We need to step back and realize what the holidays are actually about: the birth of our Lord and Savior (in our case) and ushering in a new year.

I typically don’t make new year’s resolutions. That’s just not something I’ve ever been into. Why make promises to myself to do this or that on January 1st when I could be trying to what is right all year long? I’ve always thought resolutions were silly, that is until this year. The holidays were a big wake-up call to me. They were a reminder that I need to enjoy what is right in front of me while I’ve got it because who knows how long I will have it. They reminded me that family is most important… not materials things. It is about being with the people you love, not what you can give them. It is about stopping to ENJOY life, not rushing to keep up with it.

I’m not going to bore anyone with the details of my new year’s resolutions this year… that’s not the point. But I’ve decided to do specific things to better myself as a person, so I can relax and enjoy my life and the family that surrounds me. Being healthy and happy are my goals for the year… and creating memories that will last a lifetime, then capturing those memories so my child can enjoy them even more when I’m no longer around to share them with her