I had a Diet Coke for dinner 🤷🏼‍♀️

My tummy felt weird earlier and I didn't want to eat dinner... somehow that carbonation and sweetness was helping it...a little.

I had been mentally feeling crummy since Thanksgiving because my family didn't get together and we didn't have plans for the Christmas.

Usually, it's our tradition to start listening to Christmas music after turkey day, just couldn't do it because the only seasonal music I care to listen to is what my parents had in their record collection and/or stuff that reminds me of my youth and Christmases past with them, and they've been gone—Dad, 20 years this year, and this will be our third Christmas without Mom. She really was the "glue" that held us together, as the rest of us had practically been estranged from each other since, and it's been heartbreaking.

So I was avoiding getting into the spirit completely until tonight... after my sister texted to discuss (tentative) plans, my inner jukebox started playing the old favorites 🥰🎄