Nor’easter and holiday musings

Well, living in the greater Philadelphia area for these past many years, December has usually been snow-free, or at least relatively free of snow…not this year! The national weather  forecasters are predicting 12 to 18 inches of the white stuff with blizzard like conditions (wind gusts up to 50mph!) for the rest of today and into tomorrow. I feel for the retailers that are depending upon holiday shoppers getting out there making their purchases on this, the last weekend before Christmas. Perhaps this should be a reminder for us all to take things back a notch, include more family activities and indulge in fewer gifts, making memories by the gathering of our loved ones rather than the over abundance of purchased placebos.

I remember many Christmases of my youth, when traveling to visit family for the holidays was the best part of Christmas! Seeing my Nana and Big Daddy, Great Aunts and Uncles, Mama Jo, cousins, reconnecting and feasting on traditional family recipes, singing great Christmas songs, church services…these are the memories that I cherish, not the gifts that were exchanged.

Are we providing our own families with cherished memories or piles of gifts quickly forgotten? I know I sometimes drift over onto the over abundance side of the line, but I am trying to keep my feet firmly planted on the side of warmth, connection, good friends and family traditions. How about you?