I am enamored with the holiday season of imagination. You know, the one where families and friends gather around a beautiful table filled with an abundance of seasonal treats, and children are on their best behavior. It's a world where parents never age, and our children remain young. Holiday shopping is frenetic, and the prices haven't changed since the 1990s (yes, I do have an active imagination). The fireplace roars, and you enjoy your favorite mug of hot cocoa topped with marshmallows that stick to your upper lip and have zero calories. It's a holiday past that is a manufactured template for traditions, which doesn't reflect reality. But we can dream that Santa will come for a visit or the turkey in the oven will come out perfect. Sometimes, it can be exhausting to conform to the expectations of the season.
I believe we all reflect on our past, creating our version of a meaningful season and gatherings, reminiscing about the cheer from simpler times. We gather memories of our loved ones being together.
I can almost smell Grandpa's pipe right now, envision his white whiskers, short spikey crewcut hair, and his laughter and warm strong hugs.
What makes the holidays special are the rituals we establish, the ones that only our family circle knows about. It could be individual traditions we perform every year during the holidays. These traditions might be unique to us, maybe even dull, and only done once a year in our eccentric holiday role-playing. These traditions are things we don't do in our everyday lives, like wearing a quirky, ugly holiday sweater that has the lingering scent of your closet. Perhaps it's screaming at the television, watching football, or the parade. It could be taking lengthy walks with the entire family on the beach at twilight, volunteering our time, or visiting the children's hospital to hand out stuffed teddy bears. Or it might be the steadfast seasonal tradition of cleaning the garden for next year's crop or organizing the spice rack. Traditions are endless.
The countdown to start all over again is approaching. And we relive the changes in our lives or the thought we did not win in BINGO! Time is running out, and soon, it will be a New Year's resolution with a clean BINGO card with 24 numbers and a free space in the middle.
Happy New Year! Your numbers are about to be called once again. What will you do with your free space?
It's a challenging question to answer. I mean, it's free, isn't it? The free space in the center of each BINGO card is considered 'wild' and can be used in combination with other marked spaces to create different winning patterns. Everyone takes advantage of the free space in hopes of winning.
So, what would you do to win for your family? There's a message in that question, and the answer lies within the story PLANTATION HILL series.
You may be wondering what you will win. No more guessing: Your family's legacy if you plan for the future. Click here to read PLANTATION HILL. It is a Best Seller in Southern United States Fiction on Amazon. Time is ticking.
Lifes Games.