Christmas day is here! I can barely hold my excitement. After spending months with a splintered familial unit, both my brothers are back from college and the Jordan family is ready to celebrate the most wonderful day of the year (besides my birthday). We spent the morning tearing open presents while watching the Disney parade on television. Of course, the 2016 edition of Christmas is a little different for last year’s festivities. Most noticeable is the downgrade from our typical majestic tree, to a tabled-size tree. At first the size difference made me wince. Can our finances be so terrible that we can’t even afford a proper tree? Baring the year where we chopped down a small tree in our backyard to use for Christmas, I can’t remember a time in my 24 years of life where we’ve gone one Christmas season without a six foot giant. Luckily, my positive baby sister made the most of the situation and decorated the tree to the nines. While I’m writing this blog post in the family room, the finished Christmas corner actually looks pretty cute.
The multicolored lights really glisten, and the ornaments she placed on the tree (along with some ribbons) gives it a “coordinated chaos” vibe. It made me realize we humans can derive pleasure from the smallest indulges. Look at this art piece by the Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck. I couldn’t help but stare at it during a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
It’s no larger than a hand yet the landscape has such amazing detail. An extremely small brush must’ve been used in order to create such a realistic stream of water. Two years after graduating I’m still a temporary call center worker, but I still take the time to attend tech conferences and run 5Ks during the weekend. I can’t tell you how many times TA’ing a Girl Develop It course helped unfreeze my mind after a long week of scripted calls. Similarly on Christmas, a pleasant dinner with family has more impact than a large feast filled with tension. An ocean of presents or a tree isn’t needed to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. Simplicity can provide clarity. The YouTube channel School of Life said “A small pleasure is a great pleasure which has not received the collective acknowledgement it is due.” One day I’ll be able to take advantage of the large things life has to offer, but I don’t have to wait for the big moments to be happy. A luscious piece of chocolate can be enough to end the day. Happy Holidays everyone!