Christmas in the Desert

Have you ever tried to put Christmas lights on a cactus? Me neither, but I imagine it would probably be a bit prickly! I always thought it would be funny to decorate a cactus and put some presents under it, we are in the desert for Christmas after all!

I have spent quite a few of my holidays down south, and Christmas just doesn’t seem like Christmas without the snow and 20 below. However, I am still grateful for the overload of presents and being able to go outside without 7 layers on, but when its sunny and 75 you feel a bit guilty laying on the couch after an overload of L-tryptophan AKA turkey induced coma. Arizona is a place where you can rope 355 out of 365 days a year, so why not have a jackpot on Christmas day? All the neighbors either have an arena or they are Canadian, so there is always an excuse to get together. Christmas consists of three F’s as far as I’m concerned: Friends, Family, and Food and we can toss in a “P” for Presents.

One thing that I feel very fortunate about is that my past Christmases have all been happy ones. I’ve been surrounded by people that I love and they love me back, I’ve had a roof over my head to keep me warm, and I’ve had more than enough food to fill my belly. It’s pretty crazy to think that these basic things are things that some people can only dream of having. I think that Christmas is a great time to give as a way of showing this universe gratitude for all that it’s given me. Honestly, not only does giving make you feel good, but it makes the person that you’re giving to feel good, and the universe really does reward you for having gratitude and showing it. This Christmas Piper and I are going to give back by donating cat and dog food to the animal shelters. I am also going to spend some quality time visiting my "American Grandma" who I consider to be a real grandmother, she lost her husband last fall and the holidays always remind people of that. Even if you don’t have much to give financially, you can lend a hand to someone in need, have a conversation with somebody who is alone in life, or go out of your way to hold the door for an elderly person. No matter how small the gesture, I encourage you to do something to give back too; it’s a very rewarding feeling to do something for others and you may never know the impact that you have on that person’s day, month, or year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ya filthy animals!!

- Meghan and Piper Simpson