Advent calendars. Hmmmmm. So nice, so shiny. So expensive! It is that wonderful idea of consumerism which combines award winning and fan favorite of those 24 things that you really don’t need in your life.

Putting sarcasm aside for just a moment. I love Christmas! It is perhaps one of my favorite holidays. Anticipating the big day, coming up with gift ideas, DIYing, and meal planning and prepping fills my heart with joy. And part of that joy is – as the big Frank put it – to do it my way.

Last year as an advent activity we’ve come up with the idea of creating a collage. A collection of wishes that Mr.AP and I had for the two of us. Things we wanted to accomplish, to do during the coming year. Maybe a yearning, a desire, or something from our bucket list, something that would spark us joy.

The rules were simple:

  • draw something that you wish to do jointly next year; and
  • draw whenever you feel like it!

I told you it was simple!

So I stuck two pieces of paper together and put them on the fridge with a magnet. A pen was handily left nearby. The first drawing was kinda obvious. I mean, there suddenly appeared a little something in the middle of the blank page. But then, as the days passed and more and more drawings were added, each morning started to turn into this weird thing: a mind game and a treasure hunt all rolled into one.

I’d walk past the fridge all cool, like “La-lalala-la-lalalaaaa”. ME? I ‘M not looking!” Meanwhile I’d be spying for anything new from the corner of my eye.

“Hmmm. Mr.AP was just in the kitchen. He must have drawn something! No, no, nothing there. Nothing new. Oh no! OH NOOOO!”

Suddenly, “THERE! There it is!” …. “What on Earth IS that???”

On Christmas day, when our canvas was filled we sat down to look at our collage. It was this amazing collection of scribbles, of stick figures that came to represent our hopes, our dreams. A sort of kaleidoscope of our future to be. We’d look at it and laugh at some awkward drawings or be amazed at how well something was represented. As we sat coloring we’d think back to all the times we’d gone to the kitchen just to fool the other and we’d keel over with laughter.

Originally we intended to keep it up only until the New Year’s. And then Mr.AP wanted to keep it up just a bit longer. Now, almost a year later it’s still up. And considering the circumstances, of us being locked in and being away from everything outside, it feels like this collage turned into more than we originally intended. It is a reminder to hold on, not to give in, not to forget all these wonderful things we have in our hearts. A plan that will come. One that will soon be here!

P.S. I would like to give a very special thanks to Mr.AP for letting me share his drawings with my readers!

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