Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

In this season of gift-giving it’s vital for me to remember the best gifts I receive are the ones daily from my family, friends, and life.

I’ve been blessed with three beautiful children who bring far more joy than not, friends who make me laugh and smile, and a husband who truly completes me.

In what is supposed to be a most joyous season can sometimes be overshadowed by stress, anxiety, sadness, and general ‘poopiness’.

By concentrating on my weekly Simple Joys I hope to banish the baseness of this season from my little world and focus on those most important to me and let go of pettiness that can all too easily get the better of me.

And now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

Mommy’s Helper. St. Nicholas makes a visit to our home on his special day each year to fill my children’s shoes with holiday treats. It’s a Dutch tradition my sister-in-law introduced me to and one that I have embraced since having children. This year I was treated to a special experience. Upon my children inspecting all of their loot, my daughter offered to help clean up the small pile of mess. She took items to the trash, moved items to the stairs to go up, and brought the chocolate Santas to the dining room to be stored.

Seeing this kind, sweet, and helpful side of my four-year-old daughter was a Simple Joy I want to bottle and open when I am frustrated by her more normal four-year-old behavior. It encourages me to know that we are on the right path with her and I continue to look at her with wide-eyed awe when the small glimmer of young lady-hood shines through.

Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. I was lucky to spend a day with my niece over the weekend and we had a great time. Before I dropped her back to her mother my niece asked me if I was making my homemade sugar cookies (with frosting and sprinkles) for Christmas. This made me laugh because since she was born I have been making these cut-out cookies for her as I know they are her favorite. Even though my niece is nearing 13 years old, she still wants these cookies and wants me to make them.

Having this special request from my niece was a Simple Joy that warmed me heart and will give me renewed vigor to mix, roll, cut-out, bake, and decorate those cookies with an extra dash of love for her.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Banquet. The 2013 season is behind me and I am enjoying my off-season with holiday entertaining, an over-abundance of family time and a break from the intensity of the writing/radio work. But the fan in me still relishes the hours spent in early December watching the NASCAR Banquet.

The tuxedos, suits, evening gowns, and jewels add an extra layer of personality to the drivers, wives/girlfriends, and crew I’ve come to know. I enjoy listening to heartfelt speeches, funny ones, and even less than stellarly-delivered ones. This season, especially, I found much inspiration for article writing in the off-season. I am rarin’ to go!

Watching the NASCAR Banquet is a Simple Joy and December tradition for me for over two decades!

Peaceful moments. Over the weekend we took our family to HersheyPark to enjoy the holiday-themed CandyLand. We had a fantastic time all the while walking through the snow that continued to fall the entire day. At one point we sat in a heated theater to watch a Christmas music/dance revue. My daughter, normally very independent and fidgety, asked to sit on my lap. I spread out my wrap over her to warm her cold little hands, and cuddled her tightly to me. She nestled into me for the entire show. I was in Heaven.

Spending time with my daughter in warmth, Christmas joy, and loving embrace was the most incredible Simple Joy.

Larry The Cable Guy Christmas Special. My husband DVR’d this program to screen it for our children to see if it was appropriate for their various ages. He deemed the show fit and so we watched it last night. My boys howled at the humor, guffawed at the site gags, and laughed until tears fell down their faces.

Sharing a mindless, good-natured Christmas special that induced such laughter in our home was a homerun of a Simple Joy.

There are endless to-do lists, shopping to finish, gifts to wrap, menus to plan, food to buy, and Christmas cards to order, address, and mail, but I’m not focusing on that stuff – clearly.

Instead, I am trying to keep my world centered on the Simple Joys that will enhance my December, my Christmas, and my life the most. I’m concentrating on my Simple Joys.

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I am wishing you all a week filled with Simple Joys!