Christmas eve and day are not my cup of tea, mostly due to how we generally celebrate it in my family. In fact, it took me a while to realize I'm actually not the Grinch, I just haven't been celebrating it the way and with whom I'd most enjoy the Holidays. 

But the part that I do enjoy, not surprisingly at all considering my love for decorating and organizing, is decking the house with all that's Christamassy. By now, this has become a little tradition and in my heart it is the one moment I truly celebrate Christmas (although it does not happen on the 25th at all), since I gather my parents and my sister (whenever she's around), put on some festive or general happy music and enjoy our time together putting the tree and lights up.

We usually try to stick with a theme, but since last year we gave away many of our old decorations and we haven't substituted them, this year was an obligatory red and gold theme. A couple of weekends ago we fully decorated our living room, put together our tree, hung up lights and spread out a bunch of Santas and Christmas trees everywhere. 

My favorite is the little Santa's Workshop that is part of a group of miniature houses we used to put under the tree and they lit up inside and looked something close to magical. Now, however, the lights don't work anymore but the houses still look lovely and cute and tiny, so we just spread them around the living room, giving the place a Christamassy touch.

Overall, I have to admit, Europe and America do Christmas (decorations, at least), much better than we do. Generally, the stores put out the same old things every year and it's not easy to find pretty decorations.

Still, next year, I plan on buying a bunch of new lights and decorations. I like the idea of a fully silver or copper tree. I've also thought of doing a full tree of origami birds and hearts, but I'd have to learn how to origami first... Mom said one day she wanted to do a tree fully decorated with chocolate, but we worry that it won't stand the weather (which is currently boiling 45ºC in Rio). Maybe one day we will be able to do one though! Tis' the season for hope, right?

Melancholy is a part of my soul. Looking back, reminiscing and analyzing past moments are everyday activities in my life. Which can be cruel to my present moment or enlightening to my future self.

When we take a look back at what we have been through, the mistakes we've made and the decisions that lead us to our now, everything becomes clearer and lighter. You realize little life lessons you wished you had learned sooner, you realize you didn't need to do things that way, you didn't need to suffer so much. 

Although I have yet a lot of life to live and numerous lessons to understand, I wanted to share some of the most important ones I have thought of, until today.

The one thing I used to do the most when I was younger was make up fake excuses for not doing something or not going somewhere. I felt like I would hurt someone's feeling if I said "no" and that was the last thing I wished to do. Confrontation is not my forté. Along with maturity, though, came the knowledge that I do not need to explain myself for saying "no" and I am allowed to simply say "I just don't feel like going/doing this". Everyone needs to respect each others desires and wishes. I needed to respect my own and let go of what others would think. Trust me, my friends enjoy my company a lot better when I actually feel like being with them then when I'm counting the minutes to leave.

Most children have the idea that their parents are superheros and perfect human beings. Parents know everything, what to do when you fall from the tree, how to talk to your crush, cooking and basic math. They seem like they have it all together and are so sure of themselves. 

When I hit my teenage years, however, I realized that these ideas are all illusions. Parents don't know anything at all, they aren't sure of themselves and many don't even know what to do with their lives, still! This broken illusion made me angry. How could I have these role models for so long and then find out they aren't real?

Over the past few years, such anger turned into understanding. The fact that I now saw my parents as flawed gave me a knew perspective. They were never superheros. They are human, like me and you. Their feelings, fears, doubts and dreams are just as real as ours. The only difference is that they have to look after their daughters and sons first, and we only have to look after ourselves. This obvious and mindblowing lesson absolutely changed me, helping me get over my frustration to start appreciating my flawed parents and understanding how their flaws affected our relationship and my own personality.

There will always be people in better and worse situations than you

Moving around and changing schools a lot teaches you this hard but essential lesson in a heart-beat. If you ever feel like you are the prettiest in a room, the smartest, the kindest, the strongest, whatever it is, you will always encounter someone who is better. There will always be more successful people showing up in your life to keep your humility in check.

This same thought works for when you think you are the one with the worst problems and difficulties and you suffer so much that no one understands you because no one hurts as much. Stop. Everyone suffers. Everyone is in pain. You are not the biggest sufferer in the world and you believing you are is probably the number one thing keeping you down.

It's true that the fact that there are people dying does not make your problems lesser problems and the fact that Malala Yousafzai is the biggest voice in feminism at the tender age of 18 does not make your personal achievements irrelevant. That is not what you should take from this lesson. This is a lesson of humility. This is a lesson of acknowledging the different people around you. This is a lesson of acceptance of yourself amongst that variety. This is a lesson of empathy.