Killing It In My Sixties

My Birthday is the very last day of November. It always comes after Thanksgiving – sometimes very quickly depending on the calendar year.  And after that – Christmas comes rapidly on the heels of the turkey and cranberry sauce.  I don’t mind having a birthday in the middle of the holidays – sometimes it means I have extra days off to celebrate. But sometimes it means that it’s the Tuesday after the holiday weekend and no one wants to do anything on a Tuesday in winter after having packed in a whole lot of celebrating the weekend before.

My daughter-in-law’s birthday is on Christmas Day – which, while it is very special to be a Christmas baby – it also means that it’s a national holiday and literally everything, save a few grocery stores –  are closed.  But she has always been a pretty good sport about it, even after having kids, when Christmas is all about Santa and reindeers and candy canes. It also helps a lot that she loves the Christmas holidays – and she’s never been an “it’s all about me” type person – so while we all attempt to make part of the day about her – it’s hard.

Yesterday – she texted me and said she was gong to start decorating for Christmas – and that was all I needed!!! I agreed, “Let’s Do It”!!!  I put away my pumpkins, my fall foliage, my earth-toned candles and autumn leaves wreath – out came the front porch holiday tree and boughs of holly!  I had watched my favorite holiday movie, Elf, last weekend – so I was more than ready.  I used to get annoyed when people would decorate or bring on Christmas before Thanksgiving – but now? I don’t even care!!  I want those lights twinkling in my windows and pine-scented candles burning NOW – and for as many days as possible! Now that it’s dark before dinner, I like to snuggle on the couch with all the lights off except for the Christmas ones.  

Christmas music? Bring it! I can’t wait to hear Mariah Carey hit those high notes and to Rock Around the Christmas Tree with Brenda Lee. Those are happy songs people! And I need that in my life right now! Truth be told, I am going to be in Florence, Italy for Christmas this year, leaving a couple days before, in time to enjoy the beauty of an Italian Christmas and then will ring in the New Year in Rome. Yes – it was a difficult decision to make – to not be with family for Christmas – but the holidays are often difficult to navigate with all the stress, unmet expectations, dashed hopes, and over-the-top busy-ness. It is a time of year that depression often sets in for me – so my brother and I decided to visit the home of our ancestors for a change of mood this year.

We starting the whole Christmas thing off early in November before Thanksgiving, is part of the changed-up plan. We are hosting a decidedly non-traditional dinner with our family for Thanksgiving at my place – no turkey, no gravy, no mashed potatoes, no stuffing or cranberries. In the spirit of our upcoming trip – we are having an Italian feast: Lasagna Bolognese with homemade pasta and slow-simmered sauce, breads, roasted veggies and tiramisu for dessert! Honestly – a turkey dinner is not something I ever set out to cook or eat other than on this traditional holiday – so we decided – let’s go rogue all the way!

Understand – I love traditions – line ‘em up for me – but something feels different this year.  I feel like doing what feels good and inspiring, is what I want to do.  Maybe it’s my rapidly advancing age or maybe it’s the uncertain nature of the world we are living in right now and the past few years – but I no longer care what others do or think – in fact I will raise my glass and toast y’all in whatever that may be.  Hopefully you will clink your glass to mine and if not – that’s okay too.

If Kohl’s can start playing Christmas carols in September, and Costco has Christmas wrap and decorations out while we are still hitting the swimming pools – then I can do anything I damn well please!

The point is – if having your Christmas tree up 6 or 7 weeks before Santa arrives makes you happy? Do it! Bake Christmas cookies, drink eggnog, hang your stockings, stream Christmas music 24/7, and wear your Christmas jammies every night by the fire! Tomorrow is never promised – enjoy it every day!