I spent Christmas 2023 at home alone.\u00a0Susan, Leigh, and Anne are in California, visiting family.<\/p>\n
My anxiety spikes when I\u2019m alone. I worry about all the things that might go wrong because, too often, things have gone wrong while Susan and I were apart. From flooding basements, kidney stones, and pet emergencies. Things seem to go awry when I\u2019m alone.<\/p>\n
I also realize the girls need to visit their grandparents. My father-in-law and my parents appreciate seeing the girls once or twice a year, too. We want the girls to know they have an extended family that cares about them.<\/p>\n
After Susan and the girls left, I went shopping for stocking goodies. I\u2019ll probably need two stockings per girl. Without the girls at home, I\u2019m going to do all I can to give them a special delayed Christmas. I\u2019m going to set up the old tree, get out some of our random decorations, and go wild with the holiday spirit.<\/p>\n
Eight or nine trees around the house? That\u2019s not too many. One in each girl\u2019s room. Susan has a tiny tree in her office. I\u2019ll cram the others in the great room, in the library\/crafting area.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m heading to some sales this week, too, because Susan would like something from the local sporting goods store. Half-price sales after Christmas present (pun) a great opportunity to grab the bargains.<\/p>\n
Anne and Leigh are everything to me. I\u2019m not going all out on Christmas because I want to them to associate things with how much we love them. Instead, I want them to see the ornaments with their names on them and the family ornaments with all our names. I want them to smile and understand how much they mean to us, more than any gifts under the trees.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re not a religious family. We don\u2019t go to church or hold deep religious beliefs. But the holidays matter to me because they are about friends, family, and loving others. The holidays remind us to give what we can, including our time and energy.\u00a0The girls know that \u201cRule One\u201d in our house is, \u201cBe kind.\u201d Before doing anything or making any choice, ask if it follows Rule One. We keep our rules short and simple, easy to remember even if they aren\u2019t always easy to follow.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t do well alone, but Rule One means the girls should be somewhere else.\u00a0Going to California was for the grandparents. We told the girls that was their gift to the family. Being there was the most important part of Christmas.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll survive being alone (assuming no major emergencies).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I spent Christmas 2023 at home alone.\u00a0Susan, Leigh, and Anne are in California, visiting family. My anxiety spikes when I\u2019m alone. I worry about all the things that might go wrong because, too often, things have gone wrong while Susan and I were apart. From flooding basements, kidney stones, and…<\/p>\n