‘Tis the season, right? One thing I do know about this holiday season is that is that it comes often with a lot of expectations and comparisons. To me that can be a set-up to a resentment or feeling less than. Not exactly what God had in mind. Even though the holidays can be a mixed bag of experiences of which I have had my fair share, there is usually something in which I can experience joy. Last night, I had the privilege of watching a Nutcracker performance by a local ballet company. If I brought expectations to it I would have been caught off-guard because it had a 1940s jazzy flair to it that was not the traditional. If I brought an attitude of comparison it would not have seemed as good as the performances I saw as a kid from the American Ballet Company at Lincoln Center in New York City. Instead, I was so excited to be at a Nutcracker performance at one of the historic theatres in Los Angeles. As a dancer I loved seeing the beauty in the lines of the dancer’s bodies and the joyful expressions on the dancers’ faces. Most joyful though was watching the little ones dance. The look of fear and expectation as they danced their hearts out. There was even the one who kept pulling on her tights. It was joyful to be at a traditional holiday performance with a friend who also wanted to soak up that part of the holiday experience. Basically I find what I experience is in my attitude. There it is again, “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” And, of course, I react to what I make it mean. I have had holiday times that looked like a Norman Rockwell painting and those that looked like a photograph from the depression era, but all of those times had moments of joy. Moments when no matter how alone I felt, I knew that someone or something was with me even when I couldn’t feel it. That to me is God. My prayer for you is that however you are spending this holiday season, celebrating or not, with family or not, that there is something you can find to experience joy. I would love to hear how you are experiencing joy (God) this season. I know for me that all I have to do is remember that little girl pulling on her tights and dancing her heart out and I will see standing behind her God winking right at me. Make it a great one! Peace~Colleen
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dailydatewithgod 
Thanks for the reminder. It makes me think of a time a few years ago when I was waiting for a pound of coffee at Starbucks. The kid trying to help me was obviously out of his element as he had to prepare the coffee more than once. Now I could have gone one of two ways. I could have gotten very impatient and make him feel even smaller than he was or I could bite my tongue, remember that he is just doing his best and allow him to be of service. I chose the latter and what happened next still makes my heart warm.
He finally brought the badly mangled, mislabeled coffee over to me, handed it over the counter, looked me in the eye and in the sweetest of ways wished me a merry Christmas. And I almost missed it had I not just allowed the moment to take place…
Merry Christmas.
xoxo
Colleen, I love you so much! You are such an inspiration and awesome person! I am grateful for having met you and knowing you.
This blog is exactly what the world needs right now, and I’m going to promote the shit out of it!! You rock, Sistah!! *cartwheel*
Now where is this local performance at again? I would LOVE to see it! 🙂