My Jolly Christmas

Christmas is here, with decoratios, presents, finery, and festivities.  What does every festive party have?  Piles of food with cakes, cookies, pies, and spiked eggnog.

The problem with all that jolly fun?  We end up rolly polly.

I’m  obsessed with food lately.  I am obsessed with desserts.  When we go out for a meal I absorb the dessert menu.  I study the pastry shelves at the grocery store.  During fellowship times, I  study the cookie and cake offerings.  Last night I drempt I ate an entire quarter of a chocolate cream pie topped with an inch of whipped cream.  Heavenly!

I log every bite of food.  My thanksgiving plate made people sad.  I admit to feeling less than jolly.  I felt left out.  I felt that way until I thought about it, an realized the holiday spirit isn’t about food.   The holiday spirit is about the people you are partying with.

It is spending time with family, and friends that make us jolly.   And pets.  Those critters that we have brought into our lives that give us unconditional love year round.

With bad knees and  a squeaky voice I will not be doing a lot of dancing with the Lord’s and Ladies,  nor singing with carolers.  I will be focused on those people that I  find myself near.  I will learn what their hopes are for the year ahead.

I will not be deterred  from my goals.  I will plan every meal.  I will log every bite.  I will go to the gym, and share a holiday walk with those I love.

I’m not just losing weight.  I am building a new lifestyle.   A lifestyle full of shared activities, even including shared meals, with the people in my life.  I’ll  be living April’s life 2.0, the new and improved version of my life.

There are still holiday traditions I enjoy.  I have more decorations around my home than in recent years.  I have sent out Christmas card.  I call family and friends.   We enjoy tree and light displays.  We watch our holiday movies, and enjoy holiday shows (The Nutcracker), and enjoy holiday music both secular and sacred.

I love watching my cat, Shadow, taking ornaments off the Christmas tree, or sitting curled in my lap in the Christmas tree glow.

Maybe my diet has opened my eyes to the true meaning of our jolly celebrations.