Though I tend to complain about the overabundance of holiday-themed tunes and cardboard store decorations post-Thanksgiving, I can find a few things to love this time of year, and one of them is all the light.
My family used to practice a Christmas Eve tradition, where we’d pile into my dad’s car, driving around town in the darkness, with the sole purpose of gazing at the Christmas lights. Where most others set off for church services or gathered in their living rooms, we crawled along at fifteen miles an hour, looking left and right, enjoying the color and light.
Even with the waning sun, I always feel happily inundated by light in the final weeks of the year. Of course, I am currently celebrating the festival of lights, and were I to have a menorah, I’d be preparing for five candle lights after sunset tonight.
I’ve been enjoying foods light in color, though not in flavor, like creamy raw cauliflower soup.
Plus delicious lighter meals that balance out the equally delicious heavier ones.
There are city lights peeking through the rain, brightening evening walks home.
And nighttime lights that seep even the tiniest glow into every dark apartment.
And the necessity: the traditional holiday lights, courtesy of the towering tree just a few paces down my street.
What is lighting up your life?
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My newfound strength and determination in reaching more health goals = lighting up my life.
My family and I drive around and look at lights too! So much fun. Lighting up my life right now = the fact that it’s 50* in Ohio today, December 14! this never happens!
Have a lovely day, dear.
this post really made me so happy just now! i as well when i was younger my dad would do the same thing with us! every year around Christmas we would drive at night around the towns and look at all the Christmas lights and decorations up! :) loved that, it all seemed so beautiful and magical to me at a young age! and ahh i LOVE your photographs, the one of the street at night gave me such a lovely feeling, and brought back so many memories for me of when i lived in Manhattan at age 8-11!! :)
love you, and happy 4th night of Hanukkah!
xx
Eliza
This post made me smile. Simply beautiful. Insightful. Genuine.
funny you should mention finals week.. it’s one of the best ‘worst’ times of the year for me. I love getting all cozied up in a coffee shop with my notes, study guides and iPod. Oh, I miss it.
Happy Channukah
bec xo
That soup looks amazing my dear! Recipe please? :)
I love this time of year for the feeling not the physical decorations which are far too often to go overboard with (ahem fellow Christmas celebrators). There just seems to be special sense of reflection and giving and warmth in the air, despite the cold. Pair it with my favorite people and few traditions and new experiences and I’m overjoyed until the end of the year.
Two things that I’m looking forward to: spending the last night of Hanukkah with my family on Friday, and going away next week for a trip to the Southwest!
beautiful shots of the city! there is nothing more beautiful than a lit city. we also had/have that tradition of driving around nearby neighborhoods to look at lights. typically, its after a night out to dinner on the drive home :D
happy chanukah!
wow..beautiful lightS!! it brights up my life to see love all around me..and being with the people i love! (original-but true)
We used to drive around to look at the lights, too. Harder to do in the city, but they’re around.