since the turn of the new year, something has come over me. a sense of calm and cool has replaced my overwhelming anxiety and sense of rush. i truly despise feeling that way and take every precaution to avoid it; although that can be the biggest challenge during the holiday season. in the past before my son was born, my husband and i kept things very minimal and only enjoyed the spirit of the season. but with a little one in tow, suddenly it now feels crucial to participate and create many moments of magic. i understand this must be done in the effort of creating and instilling tradition, although i will grapple with the balance of it for some years to come. now that our first week of the new year is nearly over, i can breathe, and i've been taking long, deep inhales for days. it feels good, along with the time i can now spend buried in books. as an avid reader, it's been over two years since i could really sink my mind into the words of another world; those worlds being of the ones i enjoyed in my own childhood. exploring the stories i read in my youth have been inspired by my son's own love of reading, and although many are advanced for his age, i've come to find he enjoys hearing them nonetheless (to the point of spending upwards of two hours reading at bedtime). of course i am thrilled as this gives a welcome break to all the young children's stories we both nearly know by heart.
