Christmas in New York = Happiness

Those of you who know me well (or may have just met me during the winter months) know that I LOVE Christmas. I mean, you have to be a real pessimistic person to be unhappy during this wonderfully happy season, but I would say my love goes far beyond the normal person...just ask my college roommate, Mara...

I certainly miss taking car rides touring the local lights in the neighborhood, caroling to shut-ins from church and baking cookies for neighbors back in Illinois...but I can't tell you how much I love that New York City shares my pure and utter joy for the season. Whether it is the tree in Rockefeller, the traditional lighting ceremony of said tree, all the department stores decked out with window displays or Christmas lights literally twinkling from every corner...even the tried and true New Yorkers have a smile on their faces and a skip in their step.

There is just something about this time of year when you HAVE to slow down, take the time to look back over your year and be thankful for your experiences, the people that crossed your path and made you better and the friends who made you laugh when you were crying... I try hard to stop and smell the roses all the time, but at least I always take the whole month of December to make up for my slack the rest of the year.

Although I am still going through my own mini quarter-life crisis, trying to figure out what I am going to do with my life, nothing can get me stressed the second I hear that first Christmas tune! I mean, what is the point to being stressed when there is so much love and happiness to be had in this world?

As I look around me, I have never felt more lucky and blessed in my entire life. Things always do have a sure fire way of working out and sometimes you do just have to step back and take the time to smell the roses (or the Christmas cookies:).

Happy Holidays to everyone!