Lubbock Christmas doesn’t usually come with snowbanks or frozen eyelashes. Most years, it comes with mild weather, confused outfits, and at least one day that feels suspiciously like spring. And somehow…it still feels cozy.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
I know this because I’ve spent about a dozen Christmases in Minnesota, where Christmas looks exactly like the movies. Snow everywhere. Real fireplaces. That quiet, postcard-perfect kind of cold. And I was miserable. I was alone for many of them. Some I spent divorced. Others, I spent so broke I was surviving on condiments from the fridge and pretending that was a “meal.” It turns out snow and candles don’t mean much when you don’t have anyone to share them with.
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That’s something Lubbock quietly understands. Christmas here isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about proximity. It’s about people. It’s about familiarity. You don’t need a white Christmas when you’ve got someone sitting next to you on the couch, even if the thermostat is set aggressively wrong.
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Over the years, I’ve learned that Christmas really has nothing to do with presents, or perfection, or even the big ideas we’re told it’s supposed to represent. Cozy doesn’t come from gifts or traditions you force yourself to endure. Cozy comes from being surrounded by people you actually love…or sometimes just the person you love. Honestly, some of my best Christmases were spent curled up on the couch alone with my cats, watching my favorite childhood holiday movies.
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Personally, I prefer quiet holidays. One person. A boyfriend. Or a small group of friends who feel like chosen family. I’ve learned I don’t need chaos to feel festive. In fact, my actual family makes me feel the opposite of jolly, and that’s okay to admit. I don’t leave their house feeling warm and fuzzy. I typically leave feeling like I don’t belong anywhere at all. That’s not any way to spend the holiday. I don’t care what anyone says.
Photo by Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash
Lubbock Christmas feels cozy, not because it’s cold, but because it’s flexible. It lets you define warmth your own way. And sometimes, that’s the most comforting thing of all.
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