Christmas Coming Into Town

I am the kind of person who enjoys holidays. All kinds almost... birthdays, Christmas, Valentines, Children Days, Fat Thursdays, and what not. I can hear people calling these being commercial... and yeah, companies earn money on this, but I'm gladly buying this feeling I get when participating actively in some holiday.

Christmas is sure one of my favorite. I already have my little Christmas tree and the light up in my living room. I have already written 16 Christmas cards that will be mailed soon. I'm already planning gifts for family and my boyfriend, and the Christmas dinner that I hope to have even here.

I think I'm more of a Christmas lover here in Taiwan, than I've ever been in Poland, but I need to overcompensate and try to get as much as possible here, because it still will be much much less than I would get without effort in my country. It has been 6 years since I've had real Christmas at home. 6 years of working on Christmas Day, of no-snow, of plastic pink/white/black Christmas trees in Taiwanese stores with crappy plastic ornaments. I need to do all I can to stay away from depression during that time, because it always seem terribly close. 

I like Valentines too. I've said it. It's very unpopular opinion nowadays. Because we should love our special ones everyday - it's true, and I do tell my boyfriend "I love" at least once a day. I mean it too, not like a silly "love ya" thing, but really... I say it so that he never have to doubt it, and also in case that would be the last chance I had to say it... because we never know. And I think that's not a bad idea to take a day, when you can sit down and celebrate it. But hear me right... CELEBRATE. That doesn't mean buy gift, that doesn't mean go to expensive dinner. That for me means, taking time, to be considerate of what the other person likes, to make a special effort to make them happy, to sit down and look into each others eyes, to take time and talk (not chat) to each other, to acknowledge the feeling and embrace it. Sure we should do that all year round, but the real life proves we're too busy for that, so I won't believe anyone who tells me they do it everyday so no need for Valentines. I wish! My boyfriend hates Valentines, and is rather unromantic person. But I must say I feel he's missing the point... it's not that I want him to buy me a gift... I just want him to slow down, look at me, and make me feel that he loves me, because that feeling sometimes gets lost in daily routines. 

It's similar with every other holiday. It's because we don't pay enough attention to important things daily, that's why I like holidays to help me make this stop and celebrate, feel warm inside, and feel that life is beautiful, even with all those awful routine days in it. Different holidays make me keep going, give me something nice to look forward to, and I feel help me pause, think, and be the better person I want to be. 

Therefore, let yourself celebrate, let yourself feel the warmth. Merry Christmas! (living in Asia also proved to me you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy it).