All That to Say: Change

I'd like to begin this post by saying that I am sleep deprived, hormonal, and I watched a Hallmark Christmas movie at 3:30 in the morning.  Any of those things alone could cause the rush of emotions I have had today, but all of those things combined is like the perfect storm.

The movie was about a family that was blending.  Each of the parents had lost a spouse, each came to the new marriage with children, and for each family this was a first attempt at trying to take their separate holiday traditions and merge them into their new holiday traditions.

I'm here to tell you, I cried buckets of tears during that movie.  In fact, I'm kind of glad it was just me and our little 8 day old foster baby sitting there in the dim light of the TV.  Otherwise I would have had to make up some goofy reason for why I was crying.

I think in part I'm a little emotional because this is our first year with a married son.  And that changes things.  "Our" traditions will inevitably change as they must split up their time between two families, and at the same time begin to create their own traditions.

They are a family.  He and she.  We are now their extended family.  And with that comes change.

And that's not bad.  In fact, it's what every parent wants for their child.  They want them to leave the nest, get married, start their own family, make their own traditions, live their own life to the fullest potential.

But nonetheless, it's hard.  Especially at holidays.  And especially when "someone" has enough holiday traditions to choke a horse.  I've raised holiday traditions to an art form.  Really, I have.  And now, I must let go, change, adapt.

And as I watched this TV family navigate the waters of change, I felt emotional for all the change that we will most assuredly navigate over the years.  So I had a good cry.  And then I ate a cookie.

So now then, that's out of my system!  And, I'm looking forward to seeing how the years unfold.  Years of holidays and more marriages and grand babies.  In fact, I think grand babies may be the only thing that will ease the pain of all this adjusting.  Lots and lots of grand babies. (insert knowing wink here)

All that to say, the holidays will be different this year.  But different is good.  It signifies change, and change means growth, and growth means life.  And if the Hallmark families can do it, then I can too!