Feeling all the feels. The slang term describes an overwhelming emotional reaction and I think I am in the midst of feeling all the feels this holiday season.
First of all, I am so missing my mom. She was such a big part of all of my Christmas memories and probably especially after Daddy died in 1994 I felt like she was the central part of the season. We would try to be with her during the holidays as often as we could and our family gatherings were always events. Not without drama usually because it involved trips to Ohio, winter weather and all that goes with that but boy, do I ever find myself missing her these days.
Her death 2 years ago on Christmas Day, while it was a relief that she no longer was trapped in a failing body and mind, was and continues to be difficult. There are so many things that remind me of her daily and my sister and I often text each other with something that made us think of her. I guess that is part of grief. Keeping her memory alive is still a very important thing. I still miss my dad but the death of my mother is still so fresh that I guess it is in the forefront.
The past couple of weeks have been full ones filled with chorale rehearsals and performances, fundraising events, book sales and volunteering at Sharing House. It seems that perhaps it has caught up with me as I now have the beginnings of a cold that I am trying to fight. My two friends DayQuil and NyQuil are ever ready to help me get through this minor unpleasantness.
So when I say I am feeling all the feels, I am. I loved our chorale performances and loved seeing the audiences react and respond and get into the holiday spirit right along with us. Helping families select toys for their children through the Christmas Blessings program at Sharing House brought pure joy not only to the parents and grandparents but to me as I was able to catch their excitement about giving their children a fun Christmas.
Having a pesky little cold maybe amplifying my “feels” at the moment but that is only a good thing for me at this point. Too often my life gets overly busy and I overlook all of those little extraordinary moments that pop up every day.
But trust me when I tell you that I definitely felt all the feels when our grandson said “Gramma” and “Grampa” very clearly when he saw us on FaceTime. Life is good, isn’t it? Take time today to feel all the feels.
What has been a special “feel” for you lately? I would love to hear about it so tell me all about it in the comments and Comment for a Cause for Conserving Carolina.
