3.359/366: have yourself a merry little Christmas

If you Googled this little weblog, you’d probably see that I’ve written these words at least a dozen times over my 19 years of blogging, but this year it’s very different.

A merry little Christmas is exactly what we’re having. Many of you are too. Many of you aren’t merry at all. I wouldn’t expect you to be. Some of you have lost loved ones. Some of you have been very ill with Covid and some of you caught it recovered. Hundreds of thousands of thousands of people have died in this country and more are suffering.

It’s not a merry little Christmas for those whose jobs have vanished due to Covid. Some food banks are reporting a 145% increase of meal distributions this Christmas.

So, maybe merry isn’t the right word, but it is the right song. It’s the right song because it’s about hopefulness and muddling through this time. It’s about looking forward to celebrating with loved ones in the future. It’s an old song that could have been written today. Here are the lyrics if you’re not familiar:

”Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight

”Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay
From now on
Our troubles will be miles away

”Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more

”Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now”

Here’s my favorite rendition, Judy Garland’s original, written for the film Meet Me in St. Louis. The reason it’s perfect is because it captures the melancholy and hope perfectly. Listen:

3.357/366: It is okay (a poem of validation for the year 2020)by Cleo Wade

I’ve shared some of Cleo Wade’s work here this year and she’s recently written a piece for 2020 that hits the mark. I adore her work and her voice.

It is okay (a poem of validation for the year 2020)

It is okay to leave this year behind
It is okay if you haven’t found a silver lining since February
It is okay if all of that spiritual or emotional work you were planning to do on yourself never ended up happening
It is okay if you didn’t read a single book all the way through or you read a book every day because fiction felt safer than real life
It is okay if you didn’t become an expert chef and your banana bread never came out quite right
It is okay if you gained the weight you promised yourself you’d lose
It is okay if you watched too much tv and your kids watched too much tv too
It is okay if you cried more than you laughed, but I hope you got a few laughs in at some point along the way
It is okay if you felt overwhelmed by grief, loss, sadness, confusion, and fatigue – we all felt some version of these and if you are reading this right now,
you made it through.
It is okay to close your eyes and say to yourself,
I am a strong, resilient, badass.
It is okay if, after you said that, you opened your eyes and still felt worried
I worry too.
It is okay to stop everything for five minutes, put on your favorite song, and dance with your family or by your damn self.
It is okay to find joy in the midst of darkness
It is okay, to sit down and just
breathe.
It’s okay if you didn’t realize how much you actually liked spending the holidays in your hometown until you couldn’t do it
It is okay if the added roles, responsibilities, and jobs have felt crushing
It is okay if you couldn’t do it all.

None of us can.

It is okay if you had to cut back on spending and teach your kids that life is not about what you have but who you are with.
It is okay if on the surface everything seems fine but deep down, your heart is broken and the pain is bone deep.
It is okay to ask for help even if you don’t think you deserve it.
It is okay to rest.
It is okay to admit that this was the worst year of your life or miraculously ended up being the best
And it is okay if
you are not okay at all
and what you really need to hear is…

It will be okay.

somehow, someway, someday.

Reprinted from Vanity Fair

3.353/366: gifts for when you’re rich in a pandemic

I know what you’re saying, ”Kerry, don’t preach politics and I’m sick of hearing about the pandemic.” But this post is for the 1% of my readership who are reading this from their Ferraris on their yachts on their way to their Christmas holiday on their private island.

Because Tiffany gonna Tiffany, they released their ”Everyday Objects” line because someone on your list needs a $1025 sterling silver tin can. Like your Pappaw uses to keep his pocket change in.

But a tin can doesn’t really scream ”I’m so wealthy!” What if you need a gift for your secretary? Tiffany has you covered with a $1500 18 K gold paperclip. Of course, she will need more than one.

Need a gift for the student in your life? Your 7th grader broke his flimsy plastic protractor and rulers? What a common problem that Tiffany solved for you! For only $1250 you can make sure your kid is set for next semester.

Maybe you have a game room, but you hate your regular old pool balls that are different colors that don’t go with your Tiffany Blue walls and you’re sick of having to touch the chalk line a commoner. Or your table tennis paddles just don’t say ”posh.” BOY, ARE YOU IN LUCK. I’ll let the prices speak for themselves. Have the personal wrapper put these under your tree.

Only $1750 for the billiard balls, $200 for the chalk holder, and $700 for the paddles. Practically a steal!

But Kerry, you’re leaving out the little kids! They’re the precious angels of Christmas! They need stocking stuffers, what does Tiffany have for the kids? You’ve hit the jackpot here!

What kid doesn’t need a $375 gold crazy straw?
And you’re just a bad parent if you don’t get McKenzee or Braxton a $150 bubble blower. You monster. You’re not getting the bubble blower? I’m calling services.

I hope this Tiffany gift guide helped! Don’t worry, I haven’t spoiled everything. You should probably get the clothespin. I won’t tell you how much it costs. They’re for your maid for when she hangs your unmentionables. She NEEDS them and you’ll need to buy several, so get the AmEx Black card out. Merry Christmas!