Hey, remember we have that Sunday School Christmas party on the 7th.
Oh, I thought it was the 8th. My work Christmas party is on the 12th. Is that going to be a problem?
I don’t think so. Let me check the calendar… No, it looks like my work Christmas party is on the 14th and then my old college buddies and I are doing a winter gaming party from 7pm to 7am on the 19th to the morning of the 20th.
Yeah, my book club is doing a tea and book exchange on the 18th.
Are we forgetting anything?
A Month of Crazy
December can be crazy. So many parties! Christmas cards! Running back and forth to the store for one more present – or one more ingredient – or wrapping paper, tape, and bows.
Then… January comes. No more parties. No more cards. Suddenly, the snow outside looks cold and gray instead of glowing and magical. After the non-stop celebrating in December, January can feel like a massive let down. Heavy hearts. Struggling to get motivated. (I get it!)
Having endured many a sad, lonely January, I think we can decide January is going to be a tremendous month. It will not be so if we do not commit to making it a tremendous month.
Monday, we talked about the joys of gift bombing as a heart-lifting activity. Wednesday, we discussed making time for a mid-week date night and time with friends. Today, I think I am ready for… another Christmas party. (Is it too soon?)
Is Christmas Really Ever Gone?
Only if we want it to be. Eric and I had Christmas decorations at our June wedding. Some might call it tacky. We called it our Christmas wedding in June. We were not interested in waiting another six months to get married.
For us, to celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the coming of the Messiah; and as Christ followers, who says we cannot celebrate Christ whenever we want to? I vote January. Let us continue to celebrate Christ when most people have moved on to another year and other problems.
You can call this party whatever you want.
- …Christmas Recovery Party.
- …Winter Survival Party.
- …Just because it is Cold and I am Bored Party.
Serve warm beverages. Light up the fire place if you have one. Play games. Mingle and tell stories. And, most of all, enjoy a warm room filled with warm friends.
Help Others through Their Winter Slump
If you struggle with winter blues, someone else you know probably does as well. Hosting a get-together that encourages socialization and light-hearted laughter is not (fully) self-seeking. You may be helping someone perk up you did not even know was struggling.
There are many different kinds of parties. If you are not comfortable with large crowds, have a smaller affair. The point is to alleviate stress, so if hosting a 30+ person soirée in your apartment or dorm room is unrealistic for you, scale back and plan just the right event for your budget and sanity.
If possible, use this opportunity to get to know your sweetie’s friends a bit better. If you have more friends than you have room, maybe you could host a handful of gatherings this month and spend some quality time with all of your (and your sweetheart’s) friends. Who knows? Your party may be where one of your friends finds his or her special someone!
I Have Been the Queen of Excuses… and Complaints
If you need an excuse from doing the above, come see me. I am beyond talented at coming up with reasons why I cannot or should not do something. If you do not want to bother losing weight, let me know. I will find a reason for you that might even convince you it is better to stay overweight! If you do not want to take the effort to look for a better job, drop me a line. I will have a list of five reasons to stay in your dead end job e-mailed to you within five minutes.
Oh, and if you feel the need to complain, seek me out! I will give you several topics to consider – the weather, the government, traffic, negative people. ~wink~ Sadly, it is easier for me to jump on the complainer’s wagon than to push through and find joy in the chaos; but, when I do push through, I am never sorry I made the effort!
In the past, I have let life happen to me. It was easier to sit back and receive whatever was coming than to get up and make something better happen. It is the excuse-makers and complainers who sit back and let life come to them – and they are seldom happy with what life brings them. Find anyone who is genuinely cheery and positive and you will not find a couch potato. You will find someone who is doing something – and likely doing something for someone else.
Have you been like (the passing away) me – “content” to find reasons to continue in the same, old, boring patterns? Preferring the pain you are going through to the unknowns of change? Are you happy? Do you take pleasure in complaining?
If so, do you want to break out of that mold? I am right there with you! There is too much to be thankful for and too much goodness to pour out to remain boxed up in a cold, self-centered existence.
Please break free this year. It may be a little (or a lot) uncomfortable at first, but you and I will be better people for it. Open the windows. Open the doors. Step out and do something special. Be something special for someone. Make moments happen and refuse to make excuses. If you do this, you can expect a year like you have never known. You will experience highs and lows, but you will never be bored.
Refuse to let the winter cold keep you isolated when you can bless others and lift their spirits – as well as your own!
What party ideas are floating around in your mind right now and when will you have that party? [Host the party, come back, and comment below on what you did and how it went!]