Happy New Year, my beautiful friends. You made it; it’s 2023. You may be feeling more “new year, new deductible” than everyone’s favorite “new year, new me.” Fear not, I am not here to encourage you to be someone new. You’re already great! Instead, I have suggestions for easy pasta upgrades, a great movie that’s now streaming, and attainable goals.
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Christmas gets a lot of attention this time of year, in all its commercial glory. Loving Christmas isn’t a bad thing, but there are so many other celebrations this time of year that deserve observation and celebration. Sunday started the first night of Hannukah, and while it’s a relatively minor holiday in terms of theology, it’s one that I loved celebrating as a kid. Whether you are religious or not, I hope these suggestions remind you to embrace the small pleasures of the season: secular, religious, and cultural.
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Next week is the Winter Solstice, and I can feel it. It will be the longest night of the year. I’m always encouraged by the idea that after that, the nights will be shorter and the daylight hours will get longer. I’m thinking a lot about the things that bring me comfort during long nights – and between some delicious snacks, a score from my childhood memories, and some creativity, I’ve got some suggestions to share.
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I found myself having variations on the same conversation this week. Each person I talked to seemed to ask, “is it just me, or is today off?” Others would trip over their words, and then apologize, saying, “sorry, it’s been a DAY.” As 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon put it, “What a week, huh?” To which Alec Baldwin’s character responded, “Lemon, it’s Wednesday.” This week’s Christina’s Corner is about ways to comfort ourselves when it’s Wednesday and you’re wondering if it’s Friday yet.
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It’s here: December. The month of merriment, where folks expect you to be holly-jolly all the time. And yet, as a part of the cancer community, it can be much harder than that. We are observing holidays and traditions without those that we’ve lost. We’re ringing in the new year, and we thought things would be different by now. We may be approached with that all-too-common question “how are you doing?” by our great Uncle Malcolm who just does not get it.
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November has never particularly been my favorite month. In truth, I had to laugh when I was listening to an audiobook of Little Women before falling asleep this week. It included the fabulous line, “‘November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year,’ said Margaret, standing at the window.” I have to slightly disagree with Meg: I think March beats out November. But slight annoyance with the month aside, it has me on the hunt for the little things to enjoy. Here’s a few things that made me smile recently.
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Did you get to see the beautiful full moon this week, or the eclipse? With the clocks turning back, it was so comforting to have an enormous bright moon shining in my yard. I’m as woo-woo as the next vegetarian former yoga teacher, and there are many traditions in which moon cycles are indicators of specific actions, rituals, or thoughts.
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Did you have big rewards in elementary school? We used to earn points for doing good things, and once we had enough, we would earn things like extra 5 minutes of recess or even a pizza party. I would always be so bummed out when our bank of points was empty. This week was a little bit of an empty bank week, with all the points spent on Monday as I gave out treats on Halloween.
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Is anyone else, like me, slowing down a bit now that the hours of daylight are shrinking? I swear, my body gets the visual cue and is ready for hibernation (though you can keep your clock changing away from me, please and thank you.) It’s 7:30 and I’m ready to climb in bed! I’m desiring warm beverages and nesting even more than usual.
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There are few things I like more than being cozy. Coziness is a state of mind: while we often think of cool weather and Hallmark movies, I’d argue it’s something you can find in warmer climates times as well. This weekend is about the pursuit of cozy: things that nourish us, make us feel comfortable, and bring a smile to our faces.
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