Yup!! It’s that time of year again when retailer’s are already looking past Halloween and Thanksgiving and heading right into the Christmas decoration displays.
What’s up with that?
I live in a very warm climate, cooler Fall weather is just beginning to tease us with the possibility of days where the temperature gauge actually dips below 90. Somehow looking at Christmas decorations now, in barely October, just isn’t right.
My divorce was final in November of 2007. Even though I had moved into my new place in October, I had yet to receive all items from storage. Downsizing from a home where there were many holiday gatherings and much social entertaining done in the month of December, I had plenty of holiday “stuff”. Unfortunately it was all in boxes and as yet undeliverable (long story – another time).
What to do? My first Christmas as a single woman; I was NOT in the Christmas mood and decorating was not something I was looking forward to doing “alone”. We’d had a giant artificial tree, and every year a group of elves descended upon our home and put it up, carefully hanging all the ornaments. Garland, wreaths and glittery bows were inside and out – sleigh bells hung from the front door and Christmas music played throughout the house. We were festive. Ho Ho Ho Y’all.
Then I found out that the “kids” were coming to my house for Christmas as were my mother and brother. Alas, something must be put up . . . but what? Hmmmmmm! And that’s when it hit me – – – this was MY house, and no matter what was in storage, or what I could go find at the stores, for the very first time ever it was going to be done MY way. No “keeping up with the Joneses”, no “Mr. and Mrs. So an So are coming so it has to be perfect”. I wasn’t charged with throwing the perfect party having the perfect buffet and the oh so perfect libations.
This year was just Christmas at home with the family. And although now I may not have the life I had chosen, I did have a choice as to how to handle my “new” life. Making my own decisions began that Christmas with my decorations. Doesn’t sound like that big a deal, but believe me, when you live with a person who is “high control”, something as simple as what kind of lights go on the Christmas tree is HUGE!
Always white lights, that’s what he had to have. Everywhere were white lights, on the tree, on the garland, wrapped around the trees outside, wrapped around the banisters of the staircase. It wasn’t until I was standing at the nursery picking out my tree that it hit me – NO MORE WHITE LIGHTS!! COLOR!! Yippee!!
So even though I may not like seeing all that Christmas decor out there in October, it did bring back a fun memory of my first “single” Christmas and a way I was able to make it a positive. This year, make your own “single” memories and as it says in “With Or Without A Man”,
“. . . part of being grounded in your living space is meeting your own expectations, assessing what you have and making sure it reflects who you currently are.”
suddenlysinglewomen 
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