By Heidi Hess
We were taking down the Christmas decorations (no judgment…we hold onto those bright sparkly lights until the very last moment) and everyone in the house felt a little extra melancholy. It’s been cloudy and rainy here in SoFla and the weather (while I love it) doesn’t do much for lifting the spirits.
My son (of all people) asked why we don’t decorate for Valentine’s Day. To which I replied that we have a few Valentine’s Day decorations. I promptly started digging in the storage bin in the garage and found a few things. It wasn’t enough. And so, the mission for my pilgrimage to Dollar Tree ended with red and pink heart everything! We even decorated the dining room chandelier with festive tulle and little red hearts that light up.
This scenario had me thinking. So much emphasis is placed on the holiday season and while it is lots of fun, how can we avoid that post-holiday depression? Especially with the whole “New Year, New Me” mindset that comes after the holiday indulgence.
I’ll tell you. Find joy in the little things. Double down on those walks in the rain (one of my favorite things). Drink the extra coffee and use cream for Pete’s sake. Life if short. Make sure you are enjoying yourself. And don’t just do it for yourself…if you are happy it stands to reason that the people around you will be happy too. Hey – it doesn’t hurt to try.
So there I am, in the Dollar Tree, wearing my Cure t-shirt and black yoga pants holding arm-loads of red and pink (yikes) fluffy things that are screaming ‘LOVE’ feeling a little… uncomfortable. To be honest, it’s a bit much for my dark little heart but it’s all for the kids. Besides, every time I see those glowing red hearts it reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart and then I feel better. Phew – lightness averted.
There. How’s that for Valentine’s decorations?? Man, if this doesn’t work to lift their spirits, I don’t know what will…