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Date: 12/19/2022
As I was sitting down to write my editorial for our holiday edition, I asked myself, ‘What on earth I could possibly have to say at this point?’ I joked to my team last week that “I haven’t had an original thought in weeks,” when it came to writing an opinion piece. I wrote what I was thankful for a few weeks ago in our Thanksgiving edition, and in past years I’ve penned columns about holiday traditions my family has and what I enjoy about the season. (Spoiler alert: I enjoy just about everything regarding the holiday season.) What could I write that readers haven’t already heard from me?
It didn’t help that at the end of November, I already wrote a holiday-themed column for our monthly magazine, Go Local. For those of you who may read all our publications – first, thank you for doing so – but forgive me – I thought I would share a portion of my December Go Local column, with a few additional anecdotes sprinkled in.
Where do you find comfort?
Curling up by a fire with a good book? Taking a beat to enjoy a mug of creamy hot chocolate with a fluffy marshmallow – or perhaps an adult beverage? Maybe you find comfort snuggling under a fuzzy blanket watching a movie after a long day. What about enjoying homemade chicken noodle soup on a chilly evening?
For me – I find comfort in Novembers and Decembers.
I also find it in everything mentioned above, but that is beside the point.
November and December welcome my favorite time of year: the holiday season.
Before the carved pumpkins are rotten, I’m already pulling out my fireplace mantle garland, stockings and window candle lights. A coworker in our sales department came up to me the other day, asking “where my fireplace was.” A few years ago, as part of our in-office holiday party, we had a cubicle decorating contest. I decked mine out to the nines and won first place – turning my cubicle into a “cozy cabin,” complete with a fireplace that was projected on my laptop. I had a blast being creative. Also, I am secretly competitive – I came to win.
I find an inexplicable amount of joy in the holidays.
Driving past countless homes adorned with classic – and sometimes kooky – decorations: that’s where I find comfort. I drove down the locally famous Greenleaf Drive in Hampden at least six times last holiday season, each time with more anticipation than the last, to view the classic cut-out figures that begin with a life-size, hand-crafted wooden Santa who holds a sign welcoming passersby to the street. This year, I have gone down the street three times so far – with more to come prior to the publication of this column. I know I don’t need an excuse to take the two-minute deviation down the road on my commute home from work, but I have now twice taken the puppy my boyfriend and I adopted this year, Maverick, “to see the lights.” While Maverick does show enthusiasm shifting between the two back windows as we slowly drive down the road, I don’t know if he’s interested in the lights or more so confused as to why the wooden cutout people are standing so still.
Baking the North family cookie favorites – peanut butter buckeyes and Russian tea cookies – with my mom and one of my best friends: that’s where I find comfort. My friend Katelynn and I have been baking cookies together for at least 10 years – my mom usually joins us, but instead of cooking, she will keep us company. Each year we become more and more efficient in our baking process. The peanut butter buckeyes can be challenging, as they are not a cookie that is baked in the oven – they are hand-dipped in chocolate. It is a delicious, yet time consuming process. This year we got together on Dec. 11, and it was the first time we were so efficient that we could bake three cookie varieties: the aforementioned two, along with jam filled sour cream cookies. I promise – these are significantly better than the name suggests.
Blaring every Christmas station known to existence from November through December, letting the cheerful, hopeful tunes lift my spirits: that’s where I find comfort. A few months ago, I took up participating in spin classes twice a week. I was looking to commit to an exercise routine, but wanted to have fun while doing it. Let me tell you – you cannot claim you are a holiday music lover until it is 5:30 a.m. on a weekday and you’re riding a stationary bike with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey blaring louder than can be in your ears. My spin studio has holiday-themed rides until the end of the month, and I am loving it.
Watching as many cheesy, holiday-themed romantic comedies as I can – despite them all having virtually the same plot: that’s where I find comfort. This week, I binge-watched “The Santa Clauses,” a reboot to Tim Allen’s “The Santa Clause” movie series. Sneak peek: while the reboot doesn’t hold a candle to the originals, I still enjoyed the Disney+ limited series.
Heck – I even find comfort in cleaning our house top to bottom in preparation for a good party.
Where I find the most comfort, though, is being surrounded by my family and close friends while enjoying a delicious meal, good drinks and their company.
Though this can be a stressful time of year between obligations to attend various gatherings, perhaps spending more money than usual on gifts for others or preparing a feast for many mouths – I hope you are able to find your comfort – whatever that may look like. I wish you and yours a beautiful holiday season, and thank you for welcoming our papers into your homes.