Happy Holidays 🐘

My collection of Elephants started last year when an inspirational woman I follow, shared the story on the collection of hers. For over a decade her family has faught and struggled with her daughters debilitating illness. The question she often posed is, what to do when life hands you something beyond lemons for a cliché lemonade? When the knock at your door is a gigantic white elephant that suddenly intrudes and makes himself at home in your living room.

Try as you may to get rid of him, he just doesn’t leave. You become forced to make the best of the situation and suddenly your daily ‘Abnormal’ now becomes your daily ‘Norm.’

Accepting the new Norm in your life can still show true beauty even in a difficult situation. Often mustering every ounce of courage, grace and strength you never thought you had inside. Once surrendered, you realize that your new Norm tends to expose the Norm in others, it’s finally then that you see your not alone.

The gold in this Norm, shows the beauty found even in the stress of the holidays. The holes reveal the inside, which is full spice and vanilla. This bitter/sweet mix is what makes Norm so special, often finding times where you can not imagine your life without him.

I hope this holiday you find time to see the beauty in your Norm, even through the hustle and bustle around you. To be sensative enough that you can stop and catch the tiny gold elephant sitting in the middle of the store. Finding purpose in your struggle, because ‘Norm isn’t a curse, he’s a gift.

-Happy New Years

It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas. .

My Grandfather, God rest his soul, was an odd man. A true American Patriot, he was inspired by Pearl Harbor, lying about his age and at 16 years old joined the United States Marines. By the age of 17, he found himself in one of the bloodiest battles our Nation ever saw on foreign soil, Guadalcanal. But not even fighting the Japanese could prepare him for the war he fought for the rest of his life, the great Christmas Tree fight. For roughly over 40 years, my Grandparents (Gran and Pop-Pop) fought every year over the Christmas tree. This was a huge deal to my Gran, all though Pop-Pop’s last Christmas their was no fight and she made sure, even in his Hospice room, he had a beautiful tree.

As a kid, we grew up going to my Grandparents who lived down the street to help set up and decorate.  Truthfully, I think it was just for my parents to play referee. The fight started a few weeks earlier with what tree should they choose. Artificial or real? I never knew how many trees you had to choose from! I vaguely remember one year my Grandmother actually had her tree shipped! In the end her trees were always magical, but oh the struggle to get it their.  One year to spite my Gran, Pop – Pop left the tree up all year. My Gran, retaliated by decorating it for every blessed holiday. Ever seen bunny ears on a Christmas tree?

The greatest fight I ever witnessed, was prior to my Grandparents moving away. With Bing Crosby’s White Christmas playing in the background, Pop-Pop takes a drag off his cigarette and says, “Joanie dear, you know when you stand with your hands on your hips scolding me, you remind me of Adolf Hitler.” Sending my Gran off the deep end of the abis, (my father laughing hysterically) Pop-Pop stood up, put a stocking cap on her head and begun to dance with the biggest stuffed teddy bears you have ever seen.

Fast forward 15 years, I now struggle with making the holidays bright for my kids. I think it started with my desire to decorate missing my family in South Florida, but evidently it ear marks the seasons for Dominic. About 4 years ago, Dominic suddenly flips out in the living room.  “I AM THROUGHLY DISSAPOINTED IN YOU! HALLOWEEN WAS YESTERDAY AND YOU DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! NO WREATHS! NO LIGHTS! NO TABLECLOTHES! YOU PUT OUT ONE CANDLE AND THAT WAS IT!!’ – Because I am as Irish and onry as my Gran, that Fall and Christmas I made it a point to make a wreath to blanket every doorway in the entire house. All Dominic said was, “Better.”

This holiday season started with Dominic informing me I needed to, “Kick your Halloween decorations up a notch. Your skeleton candle holder is old and completely absurd. 1) Skeletons don’t smile because well, they just can’t!  2) Skeletons aren’t black they are actually white and 3) they don’t have a swirly rib cage they have a concave one.”  Schooled.

For the last 2 weeks the attempts to get our Christmas tree were always foiled. Wednesday I received a phone call from my Husband who ordered me downstairs because we were going to get the tree, RIGHT NOW! – My husband currently picks up.. The deceased.. so let’s just leave his “work van” at that. Because nothing in my life is ever simple, an hour later we had a tree strapped to the roof with casket straps, which restricted the van doors from closing. In something only seen in a Grizwald Christmas, I found myself riding in this vehicle, tree attached, doors wide open, with my oldest son riding on stretchers for dear life.  Pair this with not having the right sized tree stand, the tree falling over 4 times and the dog circling the tree to mark it, I’ve had it!! I think if the command strip holding my stockings with care, pops off my “mantle” one more time, it’s all going out the window!

(Insert nostalgic Bing Crosby here.) Maybe it’s last night conversation about family and making memories or the nostalgic Christmas music that inspired me, but this morning I woke up in a mood to finish decorating. Straightening the lights on the tree, dressing it with sparkely ornaments, I finally place my tree topper securely in place. Years ago, I used to have a gold one that matching my antique ornaments that Gran gave me. Til alas.. some Cuzan in my house shattered it. Taking a step back, looking at my tree and reflecting on memories, til ShelDom burst my bubble. “You know I was really anticipating a star instead of a bow on top.”

Merry Christmas from the Cuzans