“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.”
I think Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because of the special atmosphere that you can feel everywhere but what can I tell you is that I can’t think of anything more exciting than the image of my entire family.
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I am lucky and grateful that I have a happy and complete family. Let us all remember that we can show our gratitude, love, care and support to each member of the family.
Feeling sad? Do you have the blues real bad and can’t shake them? I feel you. I’m in the same boat, and when I feel like this, I’ve got a handful of “activities” that make me feel a little better, day by day.
1. Spend an hour with your favorite guilty pleasure TV show. Don’t feel bad about it. Watch all the “Teen Mom 2” and “Couples Therapy” and “Days of Our Lives” you want. DVR it so you can fast-forward the commercials. Enjoy every minute.
2. Blast your favorite song in your car and scream along. I like to do this with “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac, hitting the steering wheel for emphasis. This is best done at night to avoid embarrassment, but also, who gives a shit? Get those emotions out in the privacy of your driver’s seat.
3. Buy a fancy candle. Light it every night. Don’t “save” it for a special occasion.
4. Home alone? Dance. Turn up your favorite dirty rap song, Britney jam or country line-dance and take a few minutes to dance around the kitchen. Close the blinds if you’re worried about someone watching.
5. Go to the thrift store and buy a really ridiculous item. I don’t care if that’s a big ‘80s prom dress or a “so ugly it’s cute” handbag or sweater. Just buy something simple and cheap that makes you laugh. Wear it out once or twice with pride. Feel silly once in awhile.
6. Go out for happy hour with a friend you haven’t seen much of lately. Reconnect with an old college friend, or invite someone you want to get to know better out for a walk or a drink. When you feel sad and low, your friends are the best way to shake it off.
7. Speaking of “Shake it Off ,” I have come to find that even though I can’t stand the video, Taylor Swift’s latest single DOES make me feel better when I hear it on the radio. It makes me want to dance like a four-year-old.
8. Call your mom. Or your dad. Or your favorite aunt, or your grandma.
9. Get your nails done. Spend a little money on a pampering experience you don’t normally do for yourself. Get a massage – you can save money by offering yourself to students at a beauty and esthetician school. Schedule a service you’ve always wanted, like a facial, and let yourself relax and enjoy it.
10. Exercise! As Elle Woods said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy! Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.” Well, the sentiment is there. Even going for a walk around the neighborhood is going to pep you up a bit.
11. Hang out with a young child. Spending time with my favorite little toddler girls ALWAYS lifts my spirits. You can’t be down when they’re crawling all over you to hug you and beg you to play Barbies with them.
12. Do something nice for someone else. Making someone’s day – and that could be as simple as giving a compliment or sending cookies to your neighbor – has a contagious effect.
13. Wear a scent that makes you feel happy. It’s been proven that certain fragrances can have an effect on your mood. Maybe you love lavender, or rose. Wear a scent with those notes and you’ll feel uplifted.
14. Watch cute baby videos on YouTube. Or if puppies or kittens are your thing, then watch those. Save a few to your phone for instant, easy access.
15. Lastly, get enough sleep. Being constantly tired really wears on you. Get those eight hours of beauty sleep!
Look at this picture first before reading this, and after that, I would really appreciate if you will comment what you felt.
When the end of the day is just ahead,
And there’s still not time for you,
Just remember these four words:
Somebody had it harder.
When the night is cold and the air is still,
Your only friend’s the silent moon,
Just repeat: “Be not afraid.”
Somebody had it harder.
When you’ve run away to find yourself,
And all you have to show is a tired body,
Someone ran just as far;
Somebody had it harder.
He bled and sighed as they raised Him high;
For our sins He was a martyr.
No one who has ever lived
Has had it any harder.
Since I was a kid, I used to read this poem by frank preston. This poem gives me hope every time I am struggling with my challenges. This poem gives me strength. This poem increases my testimony and my faith in Jesus Christ. I knew that suicide is never the answer to our problems because Jesus Christ did everything just to save us and obey His father’s will. He loves us beyond we could ever imagine. He doesn’t want us to feel what he felt. He wants us to be happy that’s why He saved us. I know that He lives. I know that He cares for us. I know He is our redeemer. I know that He is really the Son of God. He, Jesus Christ had it harder.
jimin's wife 