It's a Love/Hate Situation

Are these zebras fighting or hugging?

photo from 1x.com: Search for Dominance by scooter88

Maybe the answer is that they're doing both -- fighting and hugging. Maybe they're close zebra friends who are just a little mad at one another, and they're expressing this mild anger by fighting and hugging at the same time. It's your typical match of friendly zebra wrestling.

I've heard many times that there's only a slim difference between hate and love, since they are both incredibly strong emotions and they both place the subject of the love/hate (whether it's a person, a restaurant, a hobby, a song - whatevs) in a position of importance. Maybe these two emotions are not quite the opposites we imagine them to be, and heaven knows that they can both be a big part of the holiday season! Here's what I'm loving and hating as I ramp up to celebrate Christmas:

LOVE (aka things I want to hug)

- The anticipation of spending a fun-filled week with my husband, parents, and brothers.
- The calm feeling of shoveling snow in the morning.
- Plugging in the lights on our Christmas trees (yep, that's plural - we have three little trees, sitting together on a bench) as the sun sets every night.
- Knowing that my husband will be delighted when he sees his Christmas present.
- The little spiritual nudges that come as I consider the religious meaning of this holiday, the path I've chosen, and the faith that's chosen me.
- Looking forward to seeing my mom's massive collection of nativity scenes (she's got, like, 300).

HATE (aka things I want to fight)

- Worrying about weather and driving conditions. It's white and wintry here in Provo, with heaps of snow in our front yard, but what's really got me worried is the weather in St. George (my hometown, four hours south, the place we're going for Christmas), where everyone is stressed about serious flooding. Check these pictures from today:

Yep, that's where we're headed come Friday morning.
- Feeling strapped for cash, after spending so much on big and little presents for loved ones. 2011 will be the year of meticulous budgeting! Mark my words! I've got my Excel spreadsheets all ready to go.
- Putting so much effort into effective packing and being sure that I'll still forget a few things I need.
- Mild shame when I receive Christmas gifts from our church friends, in light of the fact that I didn't even consider getting gifts for them.
- Days without much sunlight, thanks to cloud cover, late sunrises, and early sunsets. (Winter Solstice, it's so good to see you!)

***

My lists are by no means comprehensive; they just represent the things that have been on my mind today. Even so, LOVE beat out HATE, six to five, so I guess that's a good thing. All in all, I'm excited for this year's Christmas in a big, big way. I expect a wonderful, rainy holiday with people I love entirely. I wish for everyone a holiday that's just that lovely.

(Afterthought: I am crazy about this offbeat Christmas tree. I think it's a little kooky for my husband's tastes, but perhaps if we ever have a dwelling that's big enough for TWO tree setups, I'll finagle my way into including something like this. You can read more about it at Apartment Therapy [click here].)