I have three words for you: Hallmark Christmas Movies.

I know they are dreadful, aren’t they? And I now love it.

Friends, there was a time when I derisively mocked other family members for their love of all things Hallmark, particularly holiday movies. The movies are trite, predictable, and far-fetched.

Take me, for example. I like Christmas, and I enjoy the holiday festivities, but I don’t start decorating and listening to Christmas music on November 1. In comparison to, say, my sisters, I am, in fact, a Grinch. They are looking for reasons to decorate before Halloween candy goes on sale.

You know, the everyday people who are just like me and just like you. The ones who also want to be able to focus on their families, their careers, and their own life’s purpose but instead are simply trying to survive. We all want to survive the circumstances we live in or the trip to the grocery store or the local bowling alley. 

These experiences have changed us and changed our perspective. What once seemed crucial has softened, and other things have fallen off the radar altogether. It’s part of what made returning to the blog difficult. When we thought we had a handle on our new approach, there was a shift. Not to mention, creativity requires inner capacity and spaciousness for it to breathe. For many weeks, we felt neither.

Phew! That turned out to be a more extended break than we imagined. We’re back! I wondered if we would write those words again for a million reasons. We have been through some hard times since our unplanned hiatus. To be fair, we have also had some great times mixed in. We have had respites…