Finding Our YES

This evening as I sit in quiet reflection, I feel at once 

serene, 

satisfied 

and sort of sad. 

We're back from our trek to my childhood home, where we spent five majestic days enjoying family togetherness. The snowfall on our first full day in the Frozen Tundra frosted everything so beautifully.

One tree prettier than the next. 

As dusk fell ... 

so did the huge flakes of dense, wet snow that we trudged through on foot 

to pick up our Friday night perch at the Corner Cafe.

We woke up to this snow-covered scene the next morning.

That evening, a clear reminder that all is well.

 Silent night. Holy night.

The next day, we layered up and treated ourselves to some Christmas Eve magic at Lambeau Field, the cherry atop our holiday fruit cake. 

Nothing says home for the holidays like a Green Bay Packers win.

Bidding adieu is never easy, but {for some reason} 

this time around it was particularly difficult.

I always joke that I'm good at checking my feelings at the door,

but this visit is indelibly etched on my heart, for sure.

The lights on our Christmas tree will soon burn for the final time and, unless the Packers make the playoffs, the outside lights will come off of the house this weekend, attic-bound. Gifts are neatly packed away, card games at the table are now just a memory, Hallmark Christmas classics have had their final run, and the stores already have Valentine's Day candy hearts for sale on their shelves. Yes, it's safe to say that Christmas 2016 has now come and gone. And you can likely see why my feelings are all jumbled up as I enjoy the reflection in the rearview mirror.

So now it's time to look forward to the new year, 

to another fresh start, another chance to find our YES.

My thoughts for inspiring our National Honor Society inductees next Sunday are percolating. What does it mean, exactly, to find our yes? Just how do we do that? And when we find it, how can we make the most of it for ourselves and for others? I plan to suggest this three-fold head, heart, hands approach: 

Y is for yearn.

     E is for embrace.

S is for share. 

Yearn to learn. Believe that anything is possible. Pursue your passion.

Embrace the present. Experience it. Feel it. Appreciate it. Make it yours.

Share and show gratitude in all things. Live generously. Love wholeheartedly.

Still simmering; I promise to let you know how it goes.