The Sweet Smell of Christmas

When I was little my very favorite Christmas story was The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry. I loved the scratch and sniff stickers with all my favorite Christmasy smells, but I also loved the illustrations. The bear family lived in a lovely cottage in the forest. Mama Bear made pies in an old fashioned oven. Papa Bear brought home the Christmas tree on a sled. It felt very homey and safe.

This Christmas, my parents were in Michigan instead of Florida, so we had a big family gathering bringing together most of my family. We haven’t done that in many years and I saw relatives I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. As part of the family Christmas gift, my parents paid to have the old 8 mm films and slides digitalized. It was so wonderful to see my great grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my own parents when they were younger. It was also fun to see videos of myself as a little kid.

In one of my favorites, I was dressed in a colorful jump suit dancing away and hamming it up for the camera. I have been thinking about that little girl as I go about my day since first seeing it a few weeks ago. This upcoming year, I want to prioritize keeping her happy and light on her feet.

What are your goals for the winter season or the New Year ahead?