New Year - New Word

 The days of 2022 have come and gone which always brings a lot of reflection on all that has transpired throughout the year. Some good, some bad, some indifferent, some beautiful, some mundane, some simple, some complex, some unexpected, some unforgettable, yet, ALL those moments are necessary to formulate that thing we call 'LIFE.'

The challenges make the good moments that much more special.

The bad and what we hope to be forgettable moments, actually change our thinking and build our compassion for others.

The moments with nothing to do are treasured for their silence and simplicity.

The surprises are reminders that we are not in control and that our higher being has a perfectly orchestrated plan.

The beautiful moments can be found in your everyday existence. They aren't always obvious but rather hidden gems that often go unnoticed, so be consciously aware of what surrounds you.

......................................................................................

Since returning from our vacation, which transcended all that we could have imagined, there was this small itty bitty part of me that longed for the comforts of home during the holidays. If you recall from earlier blog posts about Christmas, I am a lover of anything Christmas. I have shared that there is a feeling that overcomes me when I hear the music, see the sparkle of the lights on the tree, deck the house with familiar decorations that have been in our family for a decade or longer, baking holiday goodies, shopping for the perfect gift, and just taking in every magical moment after another while drinking my coffee.

This feeling that I have experienced oh so many times in my almost 50 years of life but unable to accurately depict in one word has eluded me UNTIL now. 

There is a word that depicts the feelings of coziness, comfort, togetherness, and well-being.

HYGGE

As we began our trip, Aiden and Macy had mentioned this word and shared that we need to experience more hygge in our lives. I had no idea what it meant and longed to learn more about it. After their explanation, I literally had an epiphany that I have been experiencing the hygge lifestyle for many years now and didn't know it. Although, I can attest that this lifestyle is most evident from Thanksgiving to the New Year. 

According to the Danish folk, they long to experience the hygge life mostly during the winter months with December being the epitome of the lifestyle.  

As we were ready to fly home and had a layover in Denmark, look at the book we found. It was meant to be and I found myself challenged to embed more hygge into my life. As stated at the beginning of the blog post, life is filled with many obstacles and roadblocks that are just part of life, but if we can treasure and relish in all of the small goodness, we are uncovering the secrets to a life full of happiness.