DECEMBER 2020 HOLIDAZE PANDEMIC EDITION A SNEED FAMILY CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER WHERE THE HEART IS A HOLIDAY THOUGHT FROM ALEX Twas' the week before Christmas Some is at my mother-in-laws. Some is at no And all through the house location at all, but simply in the presence of my Every creature was stirring dearest friends. Of course, some is within the 4 Tryna find a way out. walls where I pay too much rent. Mostly I’ve found home to be in the eyes of my loved ones. This year Christmas is….different. For the first My husband, my daughter, my son. Their eyes time our family is home. It’s interesting to say have been my focal point during this [forced] that word “home”. In a year like 2020, I’ve pause of a year. come to realize how transient that term has been in my subconscious. There’s a little bit of This year, as the world stood still externally, home everywhere right? my internal universe raced in what I’ll call a solar pattern. Some is at my mom’s on the East Coast. WHERE THE HEART IS A HOLIDAY THOUGHT FROM ALEX I’m not a super astronomer so don’t come for We’ll call it an emotional pinball machine for me if that’s the wrong use of the word lol. visual clarity. With each day of this reality, Here’s what I mean. Sometimes my soul felt little traditions I held dear began to not go like it moved backwards, uprooting my image according to plan. Of course it’s all confirming of self and re-assessing the notion of the narrative that I’d been telling myself: “busyness”. Some of it was sideways, forcing “This is the worst year ever”. me to look at the people closest to me and address the importance of my presence, or lack But one day, after our famous holiday pictures thereof. didn’t go the way I thought they should and I was sulking over a glass of wine; I looked up Then some of my movement was forward, and caught the light of my daughter and hearing God’s voice in the chaos; seeing new husbands eyes. paths of creativity and openings for me to step into my full self. I came back to the present. You might say “Well Alex, that’s always been I left the perceived expectations guiding my there.” anxiety in whatever part of the ether they To that I’ll say, “Prolly so.” belonged. Practicing presence has made me aware of the moments in the moments, if you will. This moment in particular, Christmas. This is I woke up to the reality that I was home and the always MY moment! If you know me, you know only thing that would take that away would be Alexandria in Hebrew means Christmas. my choice to live in any other moment than the Call me if you want to discuss. one that was given to me. Our typical order of busy-ness involves Home is the here and now. wrapping up work around mid-December and hauling off to Baltimore for the rest of the This season, we are so grateful. year to celebrate the Holiday with family at Grateful for the full breadth of life. “home”. The sadness and the joy. The absence and the presence. This year, plans had to change. For the first Grateful to be Home for the holidays. time in my life, I’m not with my family for Christmas. We had to stay “home”. - Alex I don’t know what to call the pattern my soul P.S. - See the last page of our newsletter for went through with this decision. picture night perfection. HOLIDAZE • SNEED FAMILY UPDATES ALIYAH Aliyah got through 2nd half of 1st grade in quarantine like a champ! She's flourishing in 2nd grade and loving MATH! She’s the best big sister in the universe!! She started voice lessons thanks to her Godparents. We are investing in her musical gifts! SAHEED & ALEX This year’s been fun! Saheed had to be an introvert with no alone time (pray for him) Alex got to work on shows from home and actually SEE the kids in daylight! We were trying to buy a house for a few months. Then we were like “Nah”. We just rented a beautiful house with much needed extra space! AUGUST August is pandemic months old! He loves to laugh, smile and fall straight backwards from standing. (No concussions yet…fingers crossed). We think he might have perfect pitch. He is the joy our family didn’t even know we needed!
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