We had fun yesterday on Halloween with Dev. He dressed up as Michael Jackson from “Beat It Live in Bucharest,” showed some of his moves to strangers, then asked them for candy. But, let’s be real, Halloween is not a holiday. However it’s does seem to serve as the gateway to the real holiday season. It’s the season that I appreciate more and more as I get older, which I honestly find odd. I thought that only kids could experience the super-duper version of the joy of the season, though for me that does not appear to be the case.
I feel like my parents were more subdued than than I am now. Of course that could be because they had four boys and it was stressful. Or it could be that they were thrilled and I couldn’t tell because I was a kid. They divorced when I was 11 so I guess I will never know. As for me, I will do everything to make sure that my boy knows how much I love him and his mom being part of my holidays. He will not have foggy memories of the holiday seasons we have been blessed enough to share together. His memories will be vivid and brimming with song and happy shit.
This will be my eighth holiday season with the wife and kid. And each year I want to do a little more. I’m not sure what that will look like yet though. This year I am in a good place and I am ready to celebrate that fact. I am working for a company that fits just right, and appreciates me for who I am and what I bring to the table. My son is happy. My marriage is strong. My real friends are still by my side. My book is in it’s final edit. Sure I have plenty of issues and my extended family has seen better days, but I know when to take stock and acknowledge what is beautiful in my life.
It would be great to coach a few parents through the holidays and help them to find appreciation in what is working right in their lives. This is a free 8 sessions worth over $600. (I am still need a few more pro-bono clients to help me get my certification from the Parent Coaching Institute.). The link to my contact info is on this page in the right-hand toolbar under “About,” and Facebook and Twitter are good ways to reach me as well. You can also leave a comment in this post and add your email address which only I will be able to see. Let the Holidays begin!
My wife and I are expecting our first child soon, and I’m starting to get self-conscious…”how am I going to be a dad and I’m working at this job” “I can’t even afford to send my child to catholic school” – was really a thought that came across my mind today! The baby’s not even born yet and I’m worried about private school. ~ But that’s why I appreciated this blog today, because the message was take some time to appreciate what you have. Be appreciative. Be grateful. That’s what I needed to hear today.