Post-Christmas Aftermath

This Christmas was the first Christmas in a long time that I can remember where I feel like a semi-truck bulled me over and I'm in the ICU for the long-haul (haha -- jokes).

I dunno what the special combination of things was, but man-oh-man, it was a doozy. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am a people pleaser and I absolutely don't know how to not let people have their tussles and for it to be okay that things aren't okay. And maybe it has to do with the fact that when you bring a partner into your family, you are so aware of how comfortable that person is (or is not), and if people are getting along and enjoying them.

All of that to say -- even though this Christmas was a little overwhelming, the day after Christmas was actually the perfect antidote to being in my head.

The whole day I spent with myself.

I read. I took a long bath. And I went outside into the frosted, misty, winter-y woods and took photos and galavanted around barefoot and breathed fresh oxygen into my legs, and lungs, and soul.

It felt like breathing all the way in and exhaling all the way out -- and I haven't felt that in a while.

I think I need to set aside more alone time. I forget how valuable and important that is for me sometimes.