Every heart will be warmed...every life enriched.
These out-sized expectations are rarely met in full or even in part. Humans are supremely talented dreamers. We excel at creating the perfect expectation, the fondest hope. But when, inevitably, those expectations aren't met it can sometimes hit us hard.
Reality in the face of all that magic can be depressing. The meal you thought you'd planned to perfection doesn't turn out quite as well as you'd hoped. The fun time together playing games and enjoying movies doesn't quite pan out. The game you chose is missing parts or nobody wants to play. The movie you selected stinks. Half of your guests are sick. Something breaks in the house. The dogs fight. Whatever it is...something less than perfect is going to happen to turn your expectation of a flawless time together into a broken dream.
And then the holidays are over. The presents have all been opened, the food is gone. Some of us return to lonely homes or hated jobs. Depression sets in. You can't seem to shake the blues. You're suffering from post-holiday letdown.
So what's the fix for all of that negativity? The answer is really kind of simple. Make the entire year as special as the holidays.
Kindness shouldn't be limited to a certain time of year. The pursuit of peace and joy should be a daily thing. The overflowing of love and hope shouldn't happen only around Thanksgiving or Christmas or Hanukkah or New Years. Your wish to make others happy should be a yearlong thing.
Yes, the holidays will still sparkle with a special kind of magic. And yes you can still enjoy their unique color, music and energy. But underscoring that specialness should be the knowledge that you don't need a particular time of year to follow your dream and make other people's lives better. When your life returns to normal, you can still be filled with dreams, hope and love. If you live your life that way, the magic never really leaves. It only changes form from day to day, becoming whatever you need it to be.
Happy New Year, everybody!
Grimm Forbes has been captured by sexy spaceship Captain Cari Pascale and turned into her sex vassal. But, as alliances conspire to take down his old friends at the Authority, Grimm worries that the woman who ignites his sexual fantasies might be at the epicenter of the treachery. It's possible he'll have to make a choice between his friends and the woman he wants in his bed. He only prays he has the strength to make the right decision, because the consequences of making the wrong one will be apocalyptic.
5 Star review: Shannon's World of Books: "Wow, wow, wow…what an amazing book this was to read! This is the first book that I have read by this author and I just can’t wait to read more. This book was full of action, twists, magic and kept me on the edge of my seat. The author really did a great job keeping me pulled in throughout the book. It was excellent and I give it 5***** all the way around. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of paranormal. The magic was out of this world. The characters were great and I really felt for Grimm, Cari, and the others."
eBooks Galore: "...hot, sexy and has you hooked through the whole thing. ... The sex tension builds throughout the whole story until you feel like you're going to burst. This book will gladly satisfy any Science Fiction lover as well as romance readers! It's a great combination of the both!"
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PUP0U6E
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-apocalyptic-need-sam-cheever/1120799369?ean=2940046412840
USA
Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and
mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its
forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and
exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been
writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.
LOL....last night my oldest son told me the older he gets, Christmas seems like 'just another day', due to the fact we don't go all Christmas-present/gift buying crazy around here. But at the same time, he enjoys the family being together.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's due to the fact the month of December is a month-long celebration for us, with a birthday every week, plus Christmas and New Year's. We have our 'let down' after we take down the decorations usually around Jan 5th.
Wow, Kenzie! A birthday every week? You have it worse than I do! LOL I have a birthday in October, 2 in November, 1 in December, and 1 in January. Added to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Super Bowl...what? that's not a holiday? really? snort! ...it seems like a LOT.
ReplyDeleteTimely post, Sam...and I completely agree with you! If we spent the year being kind to one another, we'd be that much closer to peace on Earth...
ReplyDeleteHere's to a joyous and safe 2015!
It is hard to not be disappointed. There's such a buildup and desire to have everything perfect. I'm getting older and so are my kids. As adults, they don't have that magical response to the season. This year, my son even found his gifts and knew what he got before he opened them! Of course I couldn't yell, I'd done the same!
ReplyDeleteThe best part of the holiday was listening to everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.
That's part of the solution, I think, Melissa. If we could learn to put the emphasis on the things that really matter...love and family...instead of gifts and parties, we'd all come out of the season feeling energized rather than let down. Great point!
ReplyDeleteMy dad passed away on this date nearly 20 years ago and most of my family is gone now so I'm always a bit wistful with memories of full-family gatherings that used to be. I'm in high-gear for about 2 weeks leading up to Christmas with gift-making, decorating, and party-planning for a big Christmas Eve party we have each year. Today I feel like a zombie. lol Happy New Year to you too, Sam. :)
ReplyDeleteSorting out Christmas feelings is always hard around this time of year. It's hard to deal with some of them, as we've all lost people we wish were with us. Still, a wonderful time of the year..
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Lynda! I'll drink bubbly to that! LOL
ReplyDelete