happy holidays

i guess i will write a little bit right now. as the title says, 'happy holidays'. it is the holiday season and that is my favorite time of the year. the weather finally cools down, lights everywhere signifying each where one house or building ends and the new begins rather than just driving down the street seeing the block as a whole, for the most part everyone is home and together and generally the best comes out of people, making it easier to see the good rather than the bad.

christmas just passed, this time of year i especially look forward to the special christmas songs posted by bands and the holiday blogs which seem to be inspirational at times as well as reflective. there were a couple this year that i especially enjoyed reading. the blogs helped to reestablish the hope that i have had for a better tomorrow.

"I think the lesson we've learned, and hopefully you can also take from this, is to never take anything or anyone for granted. Be thankful for everything you have in life and never miss the opportunity to tell those around you that you love them. Do that which makes YOU happy as life is too short and too unpredictable to slave away doing something you hate. Enjoy the holidays (and every day) as if they were your last!"
those are the concluding few sentences of hawthorne height's holiday blog after speaking of the recent death of guitarist, casey calvert and how the love for him has brought so many people together. its sad that it takes a tragedy to bring people together, but community can be a beautiful thing, if only it were present more often than it is and in good times and okay times as well as the bad.

holidays have become so comericalize and distanced from the original meaning and purpose behind these holy days those of different faiths celebrate all year long. for many, christmas is about the presents and the parties, not being educated on the christian religion i cant say much of what it is about, but i know that it is much more than that. it is times like these that it is important to remember family and friends, not by what they give you, but by their existance and to cherish those moments you have together. for my family, this year has been spent in and out of the hospital and in a whole lot of chaos caring for my grandma who became sick about this time last year. i leave you with these final words from twloha. "Much of life is a gift: Friendship. Laughter. Community. Conversation. Hope. Love."

that being said, and with new years coming up, it gives everyone a fresh start, a chance to begin to recognize the daily pleasures and beauty in front of them rather than looking to specific things for pleasure. my resolution this year is to continue to learn more about myself and to appreciate those little things that i already have and focus on what is here rather than what more i want or what i want back.