This article is found in Positive Tribe Magazine, Dec 2020 edition. For your free copy, click here! www.PositiveTribe.com

You make every day feel like it’s Christmas
Never wanna stop
Feeling like the first thing on your wish list
Right up at the top
I can’t deny what I’m feeling inside
Nothing fake about the way you bring me to life
You make every day feel like it’s Christmas
Every day that I’m with you

Jonas Brothers, Like It’s Christmas

Turn up the music and tap your feet.  You can’t help but feel the beat and sway of your shoulders when the Jonas brothers launch into their Christmas hit, “Like It’s Christmas!”

Do you know who the Jonas Brothers are?  Frankly I knew the name of their group but I never listened to their music but today when I asked Google to post Christmas songs, this one came up first!  Turn it on…turn it up…tap your feet and just go with the spirit. 

Who did you think about when you first heard this song?  Who makes you feel like the top of the wish list?  Who makes EVERY day feel like it’s Christmas in your life? 

We all need that special “someone” in our lives to bring LIFE into our days.  I’ve found during the pandemic that so many friends and family and just people in general, are feeling a bit unsettled.  And with travel restrictions looming again, many are losing hope that the holidays are even going to take place.

WELL, let’s change that!  No matter what holiday you normally celebrate you’re going to make this year feel even better than last year. “HOW?” you ask.

 Think about the following questions and commit to yourself that the Spirit of Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa will be full of joy, memories, and MUSIC!

  1.  What was your favorite holiday song?  Find songs that you used to hear as a child.  Turn them on the computer, radio, or ask Alexa to play them!!  Play it LOUD and proud and watch your spirit lift higher and higher and see the smile on your face get wider and wider.  If the spirit moves you, get up and DANCE…might as well get some exercise so you can eat more goodies later on!!

Some of my favorites include:  It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Silent Night, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth (My 6 year old grandson’s newest favorite!!),  and Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel!!  I bet you that your head will start spinning with glee when you turn on the last song!

My grandchildren would say one of their favorite songs is “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer!”…ha-ha, they’re so silly!

  • What was your favorite holiday food?  Find the recipe and make it!  You might need to ask old Aunt Peggy how grandma used to make her cinnamon pie and that’s great – Aunt Peggy will really enjoy hearing from you.  That phone call might bring more joy to your soul than the cinnamon pie brings satisfaction to your stomach!

I didn’t have to call Aunt Peggy for this recipe because I’ve made it year after year for 40 years, but one of my favorite holiday foods is my grandma’s Cinnamon Pie.  I don’t eat a lot of pie during the year, but add LOTS of whipped cream and this one definitely finds a place on my holiday table! 

  • What was your favorite family activity?  What things brought you all together and made you laugh?  If you lived “up north” you might have gone on sleigh rides and then had hot chocolate afterwards to warm up.  If you lived “down south” you might have gone surfing together or participated in a golf cart parade.  Now that you’ve got something in mind, DO IT AGAIN!  If you can’t, go through your old photos and find a picture of your family sledding or swimming and then tell those stories to your kids or grandkids.  Better yet, have your parents or grandparents tell the story from their point of view.  Enjoy the STORIES and enjoy the STORYTELLERS!

Last year my parents (85 and 90 years old) came over to the house to participate in our 1st annual Adults Gingerbread House Contest!  I couldn’t believe how COMPETITVE my mother and dad were when placed against some of their grown grandchildren!  If I recall, the “Youngsters” got the prize and we ate it all up!!  The MOST FUN memory created from this event for me is remembering the giggles and fits as my dad “stole” jelly beans or cinnamon bites to add to his house.  He pretended to be “reviewing” the kids’ projects but he was really snatching things for his own house and he laughed all the way around the kitchen. 

Another wonderful family activity was playing “Santa’s Elves” for the neighbors.  We’d spend several days making our favorite holiday goodies; pumpkin bread, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, cookies with kisses, cookies with sprinkles, and cookies with red and green icing.  We’d assemble plates with an assortment of each “goodies” and we’d wrap them up, put a bow on them, make a card signed by Santa’s Elves, and then we’d RUN…literally run to the neighbor’s house, put the plate down, ring the door bell and then RUN and HIDE!

Of course, we’d set up a lookout from across the street or around the  car – some neighbors were faster about opening the door than others, but we NEVER got caught and we laughed all the way ‘til New Years!  To this day I’m sure there are some folks who never knew who Santa’s Elves were and that is pure JOY for me!

So this holiday season, turn up the music and tap your feet.  Find something and someone to enjoy special time with and create memories.  Don’t stop making someone, including you; feel like they’re on top of the wish list.  Happy holidays and hugs going your way!


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