2. …Giving gifts feels better than getting. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED my gifts and they were all so thoughtful but I also get that high when I give gifts. This year I gave a few extra that were not reciprocated which was the whole spirit of Christmas. I put a lot of thought into each and every gift I gave this year and I hope everyone knows that they came from the heart. It is all about the thought! And money is never a factor when giving gifts. My favorite gifts that I received were from my niece and nephew. Madison gave me a beautiful sand dollar necklace that was a reminder of our trip to the beach last summer and Jackson gave me a bracelet with a dangling heart. Both gifts were bought at the school fair for minimal money and I treasure them the most!

3. …Don’t let other people determine your happiness. Christmas is supposed to be about family but sometimes your real life creeps into the passing of the shrimp and drinking a Christmas martini. My new year’s resolution is to be in the moment and I realized this year that I wasn’t. I was recently asked on Facebook, “What was the best thing about 2011?” and a stranger stopped me in my tracks. April said “having more control in my life. I feel like I am in the driver’s seat instead of the passenger’s seat.” Wow! What a feeling to have! I want that feeling! There is so much going on in my life but I don’t feel like I am in control of ANY of it. I just wait for people to tell me what is happening and I go with it, unhappily! I thanked April for her eye opening success of 2011 and I wish with all my heart that in 365 days I’ll be writing what she wrote and be truly happy.

4. …Divorce does not need to mean a miserable Christmas. Lindsay’s dad and I have been apart for over a year but somehow, despite the differences that resulted in our relationship, we usually come together to make things work. One of our success stories has been Christmas. We realize that poor Lindsay is the one that has too be shuffled here, there, and everywhere so we talk on Christmas Eve and meet up on Christmas day while co-parenting among former family. Sound awkward? Well, surprisingly enough, it was not. Honestly it was reminiscent of the past and felt familiar and I knew that as Lindsay gets older, she will appreciate that her parents can come together for her.

5. …Christmas is a time to be thankful and for everything that has happened this year, I am thankful. I am thankful for my wonderful family because without them I would not be able to get out of bed some mornings. My parents and sister helped me feel strong when I wasn’t and happy when it was difficult. They were brutally honest when I needed it and loving when my heart hurt beyond repair. I am thankful for my fantastic friends because they are always there for me. Even for those of us who don’t talk that often, they were there for me this year when I needed them the most. Whether to cry with me, make me laugh, have a drink (or 5) with me, or to review the list of reasons how I got to the point of my life where I am, they were there. Even a simple quesadilla night was a perfect night out for Lindsay and I, where I could reconnect and recharge and Lindsay could run around with her friends. I am lucky to have what I have and I KNOW that!I hope as the clock struck midnight you were able to move on from the past, as there is no way to change it, and move on to the future where happiness lies for us all.

Happy New Year!

Category: Christmas

Tags: Andy Cohen