I don’t watch chick flicks. I am not usually one for sappy and sentimental.
That’s not to say that I don’t get sappy and sentimental from time to time, I just don’t want to watch other people being sappy and sentimental for 90 minutes straight.
The holidays are prime time for sappy and sentimental. I don’t even want to know what is going on over at Lifetime and Hallmark. I much prefer National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
There is a reason for all that sap and sentiment, though. Holidays are a good excuse to be with all of your loved ones. Even your cousin who asks you to save the turkey neck for him.
Holidays are also historically and famously a time for stress and anxiety. You have to be with all your loved ones. Even your cousin who wants to eat the neck.
It might be hard to feel sentimental or sappy when you are in it for the holidays. There is so much that goes into it all even without hosting anyone at your house. We host Christmas Eve and it’s hard to feel all warm and fuzzy when you are worrying about how many appetizers to serve, if you will have enough mashed potatoes, if the kids will fight over who gets to sit next to who, if you have enough time to wrap all the presents, where to hide the presents before they’re wrapped, who is suddenly not feeling well, if you remembered to get the fancy napkins at the store, if we need more tin foil, and on and on and on until somehow it’s all over in a blur of cheese platters and wrapping paper and probably bacon.
We hosted Thanksgiving this year and I actually thought to stop and take a moment while I was getting my plate heaped with delicious goodness to look out at the table full of our loved ones all sitting together. I even took a picture. But before I took the picture, I just looked and breathed and smiled and became sappy and sentimental.
It was a glorious moment. Very Hallmark Chick-Flick-esque.
When we have everyone at our house and on Christmas Eve, I want to be sure to take a moment to be sappy and sentimental. I won’t make a big deal about it, I won’t make a speech or call attention to it, I will just take that time to pause and breathe and revel in the gratitude of being blessed with family and friends at my home. I might even find more than one moment to be sappy and sentimental.
Find that time or two this holiday to be completely sappy and sentimental. Pause to breathe and savor the beauty of having whatever it is that brings you joy.
Bring on the Lifetime Movie moments! Even if you’re living through a National Lampoon holiday.