One of my favorite holidays is Christmas and it’s taken me more than 50 years to figure out my most favorite thing about it—tradition. I love the traditions that have been passed on from my grandparents to my parents and to me…and now to my son. I didn’t realize that we had so many traditions and I’ve been surprised at how important they have become to my son. He is a die-hard fan of tradition.
Of course, one of my favorite things about Christmas is getting to play Santa. (Spoiler alert…the secret is out!) I remember when I was young, “Santa” would put up a blanket across the doorway into the living room so we couldn’t go in the living room until Christmas morning.
I remember watching my brother crawl against the walls until he made his way to the bottom of the blanket to peek and see if Santa had come yet. One time, the blanket fell. We heard my Dad yell, “Who’s up out there?” Of course, we went scurrying back to our rooms. After all, it was only 10 p.m.
Speaking of my Dad, he also loved tradition.
<Queue “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof>
He made the best homemade eggnog. It was creamy and had just the right amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. He also loved making chicken and dumpling soup on Christmas eve. One of the traditions we had growing up was opening a present on Christmas eve after dinner—and of course, it was pajamas. It was actually one of my favorite gifts.
I remember the smell of Christmas morning. It was delightful. We usually had fluffy homemade waffles, bacon, and eggs.
There was also the tradition of hard work.
Now that my parents have passed and we have our own families, those times when I was young are even more memorable and special. With 7 children, my parents worked hard to make ends meet. Dad worked 2 jobs as a truck driver and he had his own business as an upholsterer for more than 60 years. Mom also worked full time. They always went out of their way to make sure we had what we needed.
It wasn’t always easy…in fact, I’m not going to lie…it never was completely easy with 9 people in the house. There were too many times to count when Dad was worried about…how we were going to pay the mortgage…or the heating bill…or how to buy groceries.
Sometimes, he would voice his concern and you could see the worry on his face. Then as soon as he realized the worry could be seen, he’d say: “The Lord will provide if we let Him in.” I really didn’t know what that meant when I was really young. I just know he’d say different variations of it often…as if he was trying to convince himself that everything was going to be ok.
And, somehow it was…we got through it—together. Truly… together. We all worked hard.
As I compare some of those rough times to now, I’m grateful we had rough times. We learned to become resilient, became close as a family, and we survived them because we had each other to lean on.
It’s been a difficult year for, dare I say, all of us. The changes we have had to make and just the fear of the unknown is enough to take a toll.
But, change is constant.
If we don’t learn how to cope with change, it can be devastating.
We often call it pivoting. Do you need to pivot?
Do you need a solid strategy to pivot your career in the right direction?
How about someone to hold you accountable so you can achieve your career goals?
Perhaps a career pilot to guide you to your destination?
At CC Career Solutions, we have added additional services to help people pivot productively through this pandemic. We have done-for-you services, done-with-you services, and do-it-yourself options so we can help even more people in almost any situation.
Are you unsure what to do next? Maybe an hour of coaching would be beneficial to help you get started. You might need a resume update or a complete resume makeover.
Schedule a free consultation with us as our gift to you.
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We’d love to help.
We have solutions for every step of your job search. We can help you showcase some of your greatest gifts and strengths to potential employers in your best light.
Whatever you celebrate this holiday season, we wish you joy, love, peace, and safety.
Happy Holidays!
Camille
… and the CC Career Solutions Team
For more than 25 years, I've been trusted by all levels of professionals to senior executives in the Federal Government to collaborate with them and strategize, coach, and write not only their single most important document—the resume—but all of their career marketing that propels them upward in the ranks of the Federal Government and private sector. And, I would love to meet you and help you with yours! Thank you for stopping by!
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