Nailed It!

 

At our house, we are big fans of the Netflix series "Nailed It!". If you haven't seen it, the basic premise is contestants on the show try to bake a seriously complicated product that has been done by a professional. They always have this beautiful, elaborate product as a model of what they are trying to replicate. Needless to say, many of these people have about as much experience as I do and the finished products are at best hilarious and at worst absolutely terrible. I'm not judging. I would do the same!

Right now, that is about how I am feeling with the whole Christmas decorating thing as well. Many of our friends have been posting their elaborate holiday decorations that they started putting up in October to try and will their way to "feel" more festive in 2020. With the way the year has gone, I get it. I really do.

So, to prove to myself that I too could feel festive, I made a trip to the dollar store to try and dress Elise's hospital room up a bit. As I stepped back to look at it, all I could think was "Nailed It!". It is not festive. It is pathetic. Now I understand that I spent only a couple of bucks to try and dress the place up. Nonetheless, I failed miserably. When I was finished I told Kelly that I would go back to the store that night and bring some more the next day and try to improve it. As I was about to go to the store I realized that I really don't care about it! I was trying to do something that made it "feel" better, but it didn't work.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a sympathy posting. I didn't feel all that festive before we came to the hospital, otherwise I might have put up my own decorations in October! Instead, this was about doing what I thought I "should" do. But, who really tells me that I "should" do this? Isn't it really just my own perception? I also bought this door cover of a snowman and a Christmas tree. It makes me smile when I see it. I suppose that is the purpose. But, the rest of it is really more like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

As I have walked around the area close to the hospital the last few nights I have noticed the stark contrast from years past and this year. Crown Center and Union Station are generally hubs of thousands of shoppers, decoration lookers, and families out for family time together. The ice skating terrace is generally packed with people.

As you can see from the photo, that was not the case. Actually, this was the most people I saw in the area in the last two nights. Shops were mostly empty and had tons of signage about shopping online. Restaurants were empty but they had parking slots for delivery drivers that seemed to be hopping with activity. It is different for sure. But, is different bad?

I have always struggled with our society's need to "keep up with the Jones'". Every year needs to be bigger, better, more, etc. But, does it really? Do we really "need" that? If so, then where is everyone if it is a necessity? Haven't we just become content in our society of excess?

Whether you are decorating at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in Washington, D.C. or Children's Mercy 5th floor, the holidays will still be here. Whether we use a decorator or dollar tree decorations won't really matter will it? For me, the Christmas season has always been a "feeling". That feeling has been much difference since Elise became a cancer kid and we experienced Christmas in the hospital. It has never really felt the same since then. I have never been able to put my finger on exactly what changed. But, when I really think about, I think the answer might be everything. EVERYTHING changed that first year in the hospital. Suddenly, so many things didn't matter any more.

It took me years to put lights back on my house, which I have only managed to accomplish the last couple of years. It looks nice, but I know that I don't "need" them to "feel" like it is the holidays. I have all that I need all around me. It is just a matter of looking at it differently. Some days are easier than others to see that. So, whether you have a magazine spread right there in your living room, or you have "Nailed It" like I have, I see you. Hug your family. Enjoy a smaller gathering this year and focus on what is most important to you.

Enjoy a couple of more festive photos that might help you to feel a little more holiday spirit.