Sunday 16 December 2012

Realizations about priorities

There is a lot going on right now. This week in particular, we have our household goods arriving just a couple days before our Holiday/Housewarming party, and we will have friends staying with us in waves, from a couple days before the party through Christmas...and my mom is coming to visit.

The house isn't done. Two of the kids' rooms still need a second coat of paint. One needs primer and paint in a whole section, and all three need the white boards painted on their walls that we left a space for. The bathrooms haven't been painted, and the laundry room hasn't been redone after Phil fixed plumbing issues (which required poking holes  in the newly painted walls.)


Realization about priorities #1 - That's ok. The house will still be here in January. (Unless the world ends, and then we won't have to worry about it anyway.

Christmas, however, is only here for a short time, and it's coming soon. I've felt guilty, a bit, for working on "frivolous" Christmas stuff...like making wrapping paper...instead of doing house things. But then I realized that Christmas is important, too. It's important to me...and decorating (wrapping paper is part of the decorations) and cooking and having the party...it's all part of an important season that I'd miss if I just skipped it. Birthdays can be skipped on occasion...Christmas can't.

Realization about priorities #2 - While I like having a house look nice/clean/put together when guests come, the people who are coming to visit for more than an evening aren't guests -they're family...even if the only one related by blood is my mom. They don't care if the house is a mess with packing/unpacking from moving. They'll help sort things, and will be here to see us, not to be impressed by my housekeeping skills. They'll be ok with eating leftovers part of the time, and as long as no one goes hungry. In fact, if I'm willing to let anyone, they'll probably be happy to help with cooking.

I may be amazing at times, but I'm not perfect. That's ok. Family loves me anyway, and there will be enough family around that I'm not as worried about what new friends will think when they see the house if it's not ready. (Most of them are amazed that I'm determined to do the party still when our household goods are being delivered just a few days before.)

We'll make this work.

Happy Holidays!

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