The holidays can be complex, and we all experience them differently. Here's a bit about what I've been up to as we move toward the final round of holidays in 2022.
I grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Winters were cold and dreary. Lake effect snow is also lake effect rain and lake effect cloudiness with little sunshine in between. Bad weather and fleeting daylight, added to the gray hills, the cold gray of abandoned steel mills and the poverty of a rustbelt economy allows little room for an outdoor winter wonderland.
My mother's solution to this drab environment was to make our home a warm and cozy shelter in contrast to all the gloom. I couldn't wait to get home from school. The house was always sparklingly clean and delicious smells wafted from in the kitchen. I would quickly shed my wet, cold coat and mittens for a warm sweater and pitch in to help with the evening dinner. I look back on these days with such fondness that I now eagerly look forward to dark gloomy days. I think they could be my favorite ( but there aren't too many in central Virginia!).
So, run all your errands and get home as quickly as possible. Turn on the lights in the middle of the day, light the fireplace; real or otherwise, play some cheerful music, clean the house until it shines, bake something aromatic, and when you're feeling tired, curl up with a warm drink and enjoy the good life!
I love this so much! What you wrote about your childhood experience of the holidays was so poignant. It's wonderful how days that might seem gloomy can so completely transform into coziness and security with the sort of love and care you describe your mother offering for the holidays. Perfect advice. :)
I grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Winters were cold and dreary. Lake effect snow is also lake effect rain and lake effect cloudiness with little sunshine in between. Bad weather and fleeting daylight, added to the gray hills, the cold gray of abandoned steel mills and the poverty of a rustbelt economy allows little room for an outdoor winter wonderland.
My mother's solution to this drab environment was to make our home a warm and cozy shelter in contrast to all the gloom. I couldn't wait to get home from school. The house was always sparklingly clean and delicious smells wafted from in the kitchen. I would quickly shed my wet, cold coat and mittens for a warm sweater and pitch in to help with the evening dinner. I look back on these days with such fondness that I now eagerly look forward to dark gloomy days. I think they could be my favorite ( but there aren't too many in central Virginia!).
So, run all your errands and get home as quickly as possible. Turn on the lights in the middle of the day, light the fireplace; real or otherwise, play some cheerful music, clean the house until it shines, bake something aromatic, and when you're feeling tired, curl up with a warm drink and enjoy the good life!
I love this so much! What you wrote about your childhood experience of the holidays was so poignant. It's wonderful how days that might seem gloomy can so completely transform into coziness and security with the sort of love and care you describe your mother offering for the holidays. Perfect advice. :)