Hanukkah and winter solstice came and went, and Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the new year are right around the corner.  Hey, if you are looking for a reason to celebrate, you can always find one!  We wanted to share with you a couple of unusual experiences we had this holiday season;  one has to do with the ghosts of Christmas past, and the other, with the very core of our existence.

A few days ago, I received a very special early Christmas gift; a stack of notebooks containing hundreds of poems written by my mother before her death almost 50 years ago. Obviously, it was a special and emotional connection to the past, but even more, it was a window to a special soul.  As an archaeologist I am trained to dig for any meaning that would present itself beyond the physical objects that are uncovered, and as I “dig” through my mother’s poems I know what I need to say – to myself first and foremost – and to anyone who will listen:

Remember that people who are lonely, suffer the most during the holidays – offer your friendship and companionship.  Be kind to others not just during the holiday – in other words: carry the “Christmas spirit” with you year-round.  Don’t be quick to judge people, you really never know what anyone is going through.  Most of all, hold on to the people that are dear to you and never give up on them.

Some may see statements such as the above as cheesy cliches that are repeated every holiday season, but to me, this year, they ring true more than ever.  If this will make even a small difference in one person’s life, it is all that matters.

We received two other early Christmas presents this year; both of them were lovely, thoughtful presents, but the cards that were attached to them were addressed to someone else.  It made us think how we can get caught in the mad rush. The running around working through checklists of endless presents and cards, sometimes losing sight of what really matters.

It also made us question for a brief moment whether we actually exist…so check your list twice and make sure that your card goes to the right person.

This holiday season, as we head southwest in search of warmth and sunshine, a sprinkle of family love, new vistas, and new adventures, we’ll try and make a special effort to be kind, thoughtful, and to carefully place the right card with the right person.

We really loved sharing with you our trials and tribulations since we got our camper van almost five months ago, and we appreciate the support, expertise, and humour that we gleaned from our followers, RVillage groups, and the different Facebook groups that we follow.  We sure hope you’ll stick with us for some new adventures!  Maybe we’ll even meet along the way.  Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Have a wonderful holiday and a fantastic New Year!

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