I Want To Live In A Hallmark Movie....

Every holiday season I get addicted to the seasonal family, feel good movies that air. If is is a Hallmark movie then it is even 10x harder for me to miss it. I watch the older ones, DVR the new ones. If their is Hallmark ads, the ones that never cease to bring tears to the eye and a choke to the voice. I instantly escape into the small town feel of things. I get involved in the characters and their plights, their families and eagerly await the happy ending that I just know will come at the end. For me though it is more than that. It is the small towns that most of them take place in . I dream of, have every desire to and want desperately to live in these small towns,where everyone knows you, and is so friendly and welcoming and neighbors come to your aide and there is a community. I grew up in something close, and I guess in a way miss those days...especially now crave them!!


The town I grew up in of course was never as perfect as many of the movie's towns are , but there was always a wonderful cast of characters, many did know me and my family, my hubby was even a local celebrity just from being on car sales infomercial! Teachers who taught me, then taught our daughters, churches were small and for the most part one big family. As a child I lived in the country and neighbors would show up with a flat bed truck full of hay and blankets and we would go about singing carols to the neighbors and meet for hot coco and cookies after, and as an adult we drove all over town and did the same meeting back up for pizza and root beer floats. I had regular haunts where my name and order was remembered. The clerk at the grocery store remembered your life details and would ask about the family and your day and mean it. People stayed local, those that grew up there, stayed and then raised their family there. The parades were small and you knew many of the people in them. Our Santa was someone that year round looked the part, he was even our Mayor for a time. The Hallmark movie I watched last night reminded me how much I missed that feeling.

I was watching Farewell Mr. Kringle. The story of a man who believed and lived as Chris Kringle / Santa for 50 years and they even renamed the small California town Mistletoe Town and in the Main St. town square everything was Christmas/holiday theme. Everyone was friends and friendly. There was love and cheer in the air and caring acceptance towards all . This is pretty much the type of town that is in all the movies, well except they are not all holiday themed year round...I might not want that as I like to keep Christmas special and celebrate all the seasons. But the feeling the writers give these towns, that is my dream place to live. I would give anything to get to such a place.

When I lived in Texas for three years, though our old historic section had it's moments, even having Santa being driven around all the neighborhoods on the old fire truck all lit up with sparkling lights, whooping the sirens and people, old and young alike, racing out to the streets when they new he was close to say "Merry Christmas" and to catch the candy canes he was throwing. But it did not quite fill the bill...though the mall had my hang outs and they did know me and my family and there was people there, my walking /coffee group that knew me, would miss me when I am gone and ask about my life when I came back and really mean it. There was a lady at one of the antique malls that always chatted me up and often said "bless your heart", something my Grandma used to say to me and so I made trips in often for visits just to have that. It was close, but not quite it.

My parents live in a small town still in Texas, it is really a small town and my Mom is known in town and she knows her neighbors, belongs to the Red Hats, volunteers for the town celebrations and there are parts of the town that have the feel . She begs us to come back and live there, swearing it is what I am looking for. I am tempted if I could come up with 10,000.00 to get out of our lease, rent and pack a truck and secure a place to live once there. But there is not much work in that town for my husband , and well there is the heat and humidity as well as really big bugs....but even so I am very tempted. Nearly did it back in October when my parents were willing too help out....but hubby was determined to give it another shot here in California for at least another year...we all know how that is working out currently, though trying very hard to concentrate on the positive and the law of attraction, just hope he is as well .

For now, we live in an apartment in a burb city near Sacramento and we visit small towns in the area. We did live in the historic area and there was small town celebrations, but the historic down town is in a flux and half empty store fronts sit there and no one seems to know anyone else...even when down there you truly do not feel the same feeling as so many other small towns. Shame really that small towns get swallowed up by bigger city feel and people. I have tried for three years now to even get the feeling I so desire where we live and have yet to capture it, so for now I will simply have to be content to dream of the perfect small town to live in and escape into them when the seasonal movies air. I shall  keep that small town feel in my heart and pass it along in every hello I say to strangers,  the corner gas station where everyone knows me and what I drink, remembering that times are tough and asking how I am am meaning it. And strangers who offer kindness to me and my family..just like in a Hallmark movie.