Holidays Transposed
Have you noticed that we are once again headed into the holiday season? And I’m sure that your family is just as busy as ours. We have Halloween, a milestone birthday for my father, three different Thanksgiving meals, a couple Christmases celebrations, and a New Year’s Eve party, and then right into a small stack of family birthdays. The focus: food and gifts.
Are you ready for that? It’s busy. It’s stressful. And it’s complicated. But why? When we hear the word holiday, often our minds start diving into the “what”. What new entree will wow my family? What is the most meaningful gift that I can buy my parents? What new shiny object will the kids want?
We rapidly approach the holiday season spending lots of money and time trying to curate and create the best and perfect holiday.
But is the “what” really necessary? Do the kids really need that 5lb bag of m&ms for Halloween? Does our family really need 6 versions of stuffing, filling or dressing for Thanksgiving dinner? How about those Christmas gifts? In six months, will any of those shiny new objects be used? Probably not.
It’s time for us to think about the why rather than the what. Why do I want my family to experience these so-called good things? That’s easy for all of us, right? We want to cherish them, we want them to feel loved, and we want them to know how valuable they are.
When I got to the why, it changed my what. Instead of searching for things, I am finding and intentionally choosing experiences to share. This is a great time of year to reset expectations and to focus on what is truly important as we spend hours and days over the holidays with those we love.
I’ve left my primary excuses behind and I’ve started being intentional now. Why don’t you join me? This week I have taken the time to start working with my dad to build a butcher block counter together. Now, I am in Nashville for a business conference, but I’m not alone. I’ve chosen to share this experience with a couple good friends and more importantly, my daughter - giving her the chance to explore business and get time with her mom.
With a little time and a carefully chosen response, we can all give our family and friends a gift - one that is perfectly suited for each of them. Not a shiny new object they want, but one they absolutely need. Us.
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody Flurie
Jody Flurie is the Founder and Owner of Red Dirt Legacy Co. where family legacy stories are celebrated through each Little Legacy Film Series - a series of short videos that can be easily shared to keep children and grandparents connected by what matters most for each family.
Jody believes all kids, young and old, need to understand where they came from and why it matters. Everyday, she works hard to instill this in her family because it’s only through understanding who we are that we can be fully ourselves and make a true indelible mark on the world.
If you want the same thing that Jody wants for her family, visit reddirtlegacyco.com to find out how your family can celebrate the wisdom, love, and legacy of an earlier generation. If we don’t step up to bring hope to our families, who will?