Tag: Life

Santa Claus and Cinnamon Rolls

The holiday season is getting into gear! The roads are busier, the stores are more crowded, and many people seem jollier than they usually are.

Traditions are being honored as we make our way through this joyous and magical season. Christmas trees are being assembled, gifts are being bought, and family traditions are about to take place in a matter of weeks.

The Mall

When I was little, my mom took my sister and I to the mall every year to see Santa Claus. We sat on his lap a few times to express our Christmas wish list, but we mainly went just to see him and watch him interact with all of the children.

We were always so excited to witness Santa Claus right there in the mall! The jolly man who made our lives happier and left his magic was right there in front of us.

My mom would take us into some stores to see all of the toys and be a part of the holiday hustle and bustle. It was a very exciting experience for us each year. The mall was beautifully decorated with wreaths, a large Christmas tree, and adorned with Christmas lights.

A Special Treat

After our mall tour and our visit with Santa, it was time for our traditional mall treat!

We made our way over to the Cinnabon. My mom ordered three cinnamon rolls, one for each of us and she ordered an iced coffee.

We sat at the table and looked through the glass at the staff making our delicious cinnamon rolls! We watched them roll out the dough, sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar, and then roll it up perfectly into a log. The dough was then cut to make separate rolls and placed in the oven. Watching this was an experience all in itself!

A Delicious Memory 

Smiles were all around as the cinnamon rolls were brought to our table covered in delicious, gooey white frosting. My mom had her iced coffee and she let us take a few sips, we loved it!

This tradition of Santa and cinnamon rolls quickly became one that was carried out every year. As we got older, we stopped this tradition, but the wonderful memories live on.

Every Christmas and holiday season, I think of this tradition with my mom and sister, we still talk about it today. I now have children of my own and I carry this tradition on with them every year. Mom even comes sometimes as well!

Whatever traditions you have, keep them alive. They will fuel happiness for many years to come!

Just Me, Myself, and I

When I was a young girl, I changed schools very often. My family moved many times during my school years for different reasons.

I enjoyed moving and getting to experience different people, surroundings, and schools, but it also left me alone a lot of the time when I first started at a new school.

Memories

I have memories of eating alone at the lunch table, being picked last in gym class, and just feeling in general like I had no one on my side.

I was an outgoing child, but a very shy and anxious teen. I was embarrassed to be alone, and I felt like it meant that something was wrong with me.

I recall trying to enjoy my lunch in the cafeteria, but at the same time being too distracted from looking around to see if anyone saw me alone.

Alone, But Not Lonely 

I didn’t mind being alone, and I didn’t feel lonely, but like a lot of kids, I was worried about what others thought of me.

In my head, I could hear them thinking “what’s wrong with her?” “Why is she eating alone?” “Does she have friends?”

Growing Up

As I grew older, I started becoming more confident in myself and I slowly broke out of my shell.

I found it easier to communicate and being around others felt more natural. I didn’t let my anxiety take over as I had in the past.

As I matured, I felt like the true me was coming out and I was finally enjoying life!

The Irony

Fast-forward to my young adult and adult years and although I love socializing and being with others, I crave alone time and I need a lot of it!

Ironically, the very thing that had me anxious and embarrassed, is now the one thing that I constantly crave.

Although I don’t like to admit this, I am guilty of turning down a social event or two. I don’t get much time to myself at all these days, and I enjoy having a moment to be in my own company to reflect on life. I try hard to balance this because my loved ones are very important to me.

Just I

I feel as though there is a stigma of being alone or wanting to be alone. I used to wonder how people could travel or eat at a restaurant alone and now I realize that these things are a beautiful and relaxing part of life!

How wonderful it is to be able to be in your own company and be content. I must say that there were many times in my past when I longed for people to be there because at that point they weren’t. It’s possible that because people are fortunately in my life now that I have the choice.

One can also get pretty comfortable wanting to have alone time to the point where it is not healthy.

We all have varying degrees of needing human connection. I do love and thrive on seeing my friends and family, however. I equally love the time that I get to spend just me, myself, and I.

I have found a comfortable place between enjoying my own company and being much less reliant on others to make me happy. Previously, my happiness depended on others, but I have learned to find that within myself.

Whatever Works for YOU!

We are all different and we have to find what makes us happy and find that balance in life.

I feel like this is such a stigma about being alone or wanting to be alone in society today.

I believe that having time alone is crucial to one’s health as is social interaction. Everyone’s view of balance will be different. Some prefer less alone time and more social interactions, while others prefer the exact opposite.

The goal in life is to do what makes you happy!

The Story Behind My Unoriginal Name

Where did this hardly unique name of mine come from? You probably can guess it! I am kind of embarrassed about it now because I strive to be somewhat creative, but here’s the story.

Creating My First Blog

I have adored writing since I was younger. I decided to take my love of writing and create a blog a few years ago on WordPress. I wanted to share my experiences and hopefully help the world. It was a dream come true!

My first blog was on WordPress and then a few months ago I decided to expand and use Medium as well! I truly love being able to blog and having two amazing platforms that allow me to do so.

As with most new things, I tend to do a lot of research beforehand. I would research anything, and everything related to blogging so that I could gain as much knowledge and understanding as possible.

There was so much to do and to think of, it was a lot to take in, but very exciting nonetheless. The first step was coming up with a name!

Days Went By

I kept a notepad handy and wrote down any names that I could think of. I thought long and hard, I had a very long list of possible names.

I remember reading about a tip online to have a name that people could easily remember and one that is related to writing, for easy recognition and I took that a little too literally! I laugh at it now.

My first name starts with a “J.” I’ve been mistaken for a male more times than I can count, I think because people think of “Jay.” I am a female and although I currently write anonymously, I may change that in the future. We shall see!

I long to change my name into something more special and unique, but it has been with me for a while now and it doesn’t feel right to make that change. It would feel like I was starting over. I suppose I will have to learn to live with it and hopefully one day embrace the name. It’s not likely that I will embrace it, but I can try!

Share with Us!

I know some people use chosen words, pen names, and their actual names. How did you come up with your blogging name? I would love to hear your stories!

You Are Leaving a Mark

I had just finished having an early dinner the other day and I decided to walk over to the window that overlooks the deck.

I glanced outside and saw a magnificent sunset. The trees were bare, not a leaf in sight as we head towards the last few weeks of fall and into winter.

My eyes stared at the multi-colored sky and honed in on the beautiful orange color. The branches were so open without the leaves and there it was…my eye caught a bird’s nest.

I Looked Deeper

I got lost in thought as I examined this bird’s nest. It was large and nestled safely in the branches. The nest was empty because it is so cold here, and many of the birds have flown south for the winter.

My mind started to wander. At one point in the spring or summer, a bird created a nest to live in and to have its babies in. The nest was built with love and care and served an amazing purpose.

Given that the weather is so cold here and that there are no leaves left on the trees to hide the nest safely, it appeared as though the nest is abandoned.

Flooded with Emotions 

There I was, peering out of the window, staring at this nest that a bird created many months ago. At one point, this nest was thriving with babies and today it lay abandoned as winter approaches.

Even though most of the birds migrate away from this area once the weather gets cold, they leave a trail behind them.

In this case, a beautiful nest was left behind. One that once represented love, safety, and new life. The birds may be gone, but the beauty and meaning live on.

You Matter 

Every act of kindness that you show and every word that you choose to speak or write lives on in some way. Others will not forget your kind words in times of despair. Your writing is and will continue to impact other people who come across it, even many years down the line.

Every day that you live, you are leaving a mark. Beauty lives on and reminds us of where we have been. You may have moved, changed jobs, or left a relationship, but the impact that you made is never lost.

YOU are important and you matter. YOU are making a difference in this world. The days come and go, but the mark that you leave on this Earth will forever remain.

It’s Just an Emotion

I have been a very sensitive person ever since I was a young girl. I remember being able to feel others’ emotions so profoundly to the point that it oftentimes would negatively impact me.

In my early teens, I would cry a lot because I wasn’t sure how to regulate all of these emotions. Couple that with being a teenager and having emotions all over the place anyway, and you have yourself a recipe for a pretty challenging phase of life.

My View

I viewed emotions very negatively in my younger years. Pleasant emotions of course were wonderful but feeling any sort of unpleasant emotion was such a great deal to me.

It almost felt that whenever I felt anger, sadness, guilt, or any other unpleasant emotion, it was magnified. I would do anything that I could to prevent myself from feeling pain or anything unpleasant.

I always felt so overwhelmed by my emotions, because not only was I feeling mine, I was absorbing everyone else’s. They call us, Highly Sensitive People (HSP).

Break It Down

An emotion is just that. It’s a feeling and if we give it power, it can consume us.

Emotions are fleeting, it’s important to acknowledge that they are there, but not place constant emphasis on them.

Emotions are a part of life and a part of being human. A lot has been going on in my life lately. I was talking with a friend, and she told me the other day that “feelings are just feelings, and we don’t have to let them play such a large role in our lives.” I started to look at emotions differently.

Suddenly, the extreme power that emotions had over me became more of something that needs management rather than bringing me from 100 to 0. I appreciate this notion that she shared with me greatly. Other people can have a profound impact on our lives!

Yes, emotions are strong, and they are valid, real, and important, but we don’t have to let them consume us. We can let the feeling stay a while and then we can work on ways of processing the emotion.

A Word Within a Word

Take a look at the word emotion. The word motion lies within it. Our feelings bring a great motion in and out of our lives.

They come and they go. Emotions are fleeting. The happy emotions we wish would stick around longer, yet the unhappy ones we are glad to get rid of.

Change is a Constant 

Everything in life changes. Sitting and dwelling on a certain feeling can prolong its stay in our lives.

We can look inside and acknowledge how we feel at a particular moment, realize the impact that something has had on us, and then chose to let it float away. Maybe not far away, but we can try to distance ourselves from it so that it doesn’t consume us and become “a part” of us.

I’m Trying 

Every day, I try not to get stuck. I try to remember my friend’s wise words about letting myself feel the emotion, but not becoming trapped in it.

It’s amazing how much humans can help each other. We all see things very differently and approach life in different ways.

The impact of another’s words is a constant reminder of how powerful they are!