This year I will be celebrating
the typical Jewish Christmas, the one that involves going to a movie and eating
Chinese food. I will celebrate the fact that I live in a country in which
everything (except movie theaters and Chinese restaurants) is closed and there
is nothing to do except relax.
But this holiday season is about
more than just relaxing to me. It is about new beginnings. While technically
the New Year is always a new beginning, I am hoping that this one brings change
to my life. And I’m not talking about the typical… (I’ll go the gym more; I’ll find a job a like and work hard at
it). Everyone makes those types of New Year’s resolutions, and good for those
of you can keep them for more than the month of January.
What I am talking about is this….
Since retuning from Spain, I have
been thinking lot about what is important to me. Is it family? Is it friends?
Is it new cultural experiences? Is it learning? Is it a great job? If it is all
of the above, then how do I prioritize them?
Yesterday I received a Christmas
card from the primary school I taught at in Spain two years ago. The amount of
joy that I felt upon opening that card, knowing that someone in the school
remembered to include my name on the mailing list, was immeasurable. And all
because of a little piece of paper.
On Friday, my sister surprised me
with tickets to see the Broadway show Annie, a strong reminiscence of our
childhood. The fact that she spent money on the tickets was great. But the gift
was so meaningful to me not because of the monetary value, but rather the
thought that went into it. The memories the show evoked and the happiness I
felt while singing along to each and every song cannot be quantified.
It’s the little moments in life
that are truly priceless (sometimes clichés are just spot on). If I spend too
much time focusing on one goal, or prioritizing my life, or searching for that
perfect something, then I miss out on the small things. I don’t appreciate that
coffee date with a friend I haven’t seen in over a month or buying chocolates
for my mom to cheer her up after surgery.
This New Year, I am going to try
harder to recognize and appreciate all the little things in life. Here are my new mottos:
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| "Life is made up of little moments...$0" |
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| "keep smiling" |
It is just too stressful to live
any other way.
Happy Holidays!
