During this time of year I often come back to one of my favorite images from the Lundquist family album. If you’re anything like me, life is starting to feel stressful, Thanksgiving plans are in motion, the December schedule is getting too packed already, and you’re wondering if you’ll have any sense of peace during the holiday season. This picture helps me put things into perspective.
Let me introduce you to my grandparents, mother, and the four-year old version of me and my twin brother. This photo was taken during a time when my family had very little money as my mother was a single parent doing her best to work full-time and raise us boys. We lived a modest lifestyle out of necessity, and so when December rolled around, there wasn’t much to cover Christmas gifts. My Mom had a total of ten dollars, and since she was too proud to accept additional funds from family members, she made due with what she had.
When I look at this post gift-unwrapping picture, I see two extremely happy boys and an amazing mother who stretched out ten bucks to provide both of her sons with a superman t-shirt and cape, Mork & Mindy egg, coloring book, and soccer ball.
Maybe it’s just subjective sentimental goo, but this photo gets me thinking about what really matters and even how I can enjoy the coming month ahead. There are some real nuggets of truth here: Family time is so important. Money doesn’t make us happy. Humble circumstances can teach us valuable life lessons. Moms are amazing. Christmas is not about the gifts. Financial hardship doesn’t have to steal our joy. Life is good. There is much to celebrate and be grateful for. We need to savor the time we have with our kids.
How do you plan to find joy in this next month?
www.SacramentoAppraisalBlog.com How $10 Made Two Boys Happy on Christmas