Welcome to the space for my musings, ideas, rants, jokes and random thoughts from my view as a Trinidadian mother, wife, teacher and general observer of life on this twin island and the world!
This Christmas holiday season closes off a year that focused heavily on reflection and purpose and for me as I know for many others, gratitude is a must. Here are some of the reasons that I am grateful for 2021.
I am grateful to be alive during a time where a microscopic organism is wiping out a significant portion of the world population.
I am grateful for family and the sense of belonging which is absolutely necessary for the human experience.
Reallll grateful
I am grateful for the strength of my circle of friends who also contribute to that sense of belonging because no man is an island.
I am grateful for the ability to partake in good coffee, good wine and good food…..because….obviously….
I am grateful for the lessons learnt and the support that abounded this year while being an educator teaching virtually (and then face-to-face) in a pandemic. Never will there be an experience like this again and never have I learnt more about my students as well as myself during such a time.
I am grateful for science and vaccines rather than there being none at all. Anywhooo….
I am grateful for the Christmas season in my neck of the woods, the warmth and the sentiment.
I am grateful for my online community, those who have virtually kept me company and shared in my life experiences via my writing and my posts, so if you read this then I am grateful for you!
So what about you? As you reflect on your year is there anything that you feel grateful for? Feel free to express it in my comment section below!
So somehow you got caught up in the frenzy of the season, I know how it is trust me. This time of year can throw you terribly off balance, we are of course less than five days away. Pressha!
Here are my simple recommendations below. Short, sweet and to the point so they hit you directly:
Nothing is perfect and that’s ok – Were you aiming to create a splash for the holidays in the areas of clean up, gifting, food, decor or whatever else and fell short? Whatevs….nothing and nobody is perfect and I’m sure that it can be made up at another time and in another way.
Love yourself and nurture your emotions – As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, be kind and gentle
with yourself if you don’t feel festive because your feelings are valid
to others if you recognize that they are struggling. Affirm them and respect their emotions
Get your alone time – Yes, the season is one that is centred on the family and the human connection but in everything don’t forget to check in on yourself and affirm what matters to you to keep you wholesome
Come out the house – Put some calming distance between yourself and your home if the frenzy is scattering your atoms. Exercise or walk barefoot!……but not too far if you don’t need to because 0m!cr0n is a thing. Be safe.
See! Short and saweeeet! Of course if all else fails to shut out the noise, please feel free to make a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa (and by “tea” and “hot cocoa” I really mean “coffee or wine” because we must recognise greatness….)
They say that Christmas is for the children and in some ways I am inclined to agree. The magic and wonder associated with the holiday seems more natural to the children than it is for the adults and despite the misgivings (because adulting is ghetto), I think that is a good thing. Children should be allowed to get caught up in the meaning, the traditions and the splendour. This world is too much of a harsh place.
When I was a smallie there were certain things about Christmas that I loved and the memory of which still brings me comfort today. The fact that a sight, sound, smell or taste can transport me to the past quick sharp is a thing of magic itself.
Spellbinding…
The smell of any kind of Trini Christmas food. I have no idea if my serotonin or endorphins (or both) are released, but the smell of sorrel boiling, ham or black cake baking puts me in a zone, even in a random day in June. This was considered to be feast food, fun and special and even at a young age I understood and appreciated that food is indeed life.
I loved the frenzy of cleaning and besides my mom I may have been the only one at home who understood the divine nature of this (sorry sis). There was something about newness and freshness and the place ‘feeling light’ and decorated, that sparked a happy feeling as a child. Back in the day the whole house was carpeted so the smell of a vacuumed and washed carpet was pure good vibes.
She knows…
To this day I feel the same but my gremlinz don’t let me enjoy it for long.🙄😒
This next one is gonna sound weird but as a child I loved the Christmas grocery run. This was like a field trip and the excitement levels were usually very high. I knew on that particular grocery trip we would get the high priced snacks that didn’t usually appear in our lunch kits. Apples and grapes were a rare seasonal thing and again….the food anticipation……not to mention that we would also get fast food afterwards which back in the 80s was also a seasonal thing.
I loved staying up late on Christmas Eve and I alluded to this previously:
For me, when I was a child my father used to invite a parang* band over to celebrate his birthday which was Christmas Eve with the festivities leading into Christmas Day. I remember my sister and I used to force ourselves to stay up for that excitement (ranked higher than waiting up for Santa Claus) because the merriment, music, eating and drinking was something that didn’t happen on that scale during the year.
It was something magical being up late up to midnight and thereafter, serenading with parang music, marvelling at the adults merrymaking and then being run to bed…not to mention waking up groggy and excited hours later seeing the place spic and ready for Christmas Day action (my mother was a real G, still is…)
Add to this list school Christmas parties and concerts, music and lights and it is clear that the magic was most present as a child. As an adult? Not as much but I always rely on my memories and the creation of new ones with my gremlinz, some of which you can find in my Instagram Vlogmas 2021 series finale, check it out here!
What about you? Did you experience Christmas holiday magic as a child? What was it like? I’d love to know in the comments!
Trini Mom in D Middle 