The Holiday Season
As I'm sure many of you are, we are working tirelessly to keep up with the fast pace of the holidays. Christmas is both Jeff and my favorite holiday, but we always forget just how much work goes into making the season one to remember. Of course we are busy with work--company holiday parties, charity functions, getting the calendar filled-up for next year, etc.--but we are also busy with life. We have been blessed to have a busy work season, especially this week, but as we look at the calendar, it really hit home that Christmas Eve is next week. Next week!
As an organized (and worrisome) person, I naturally ran through a mental checklist of everything still left to do in these short ten days until Christmas: is our house decorated for the season? Do we have presents bought and wrapped? Do we have solidified plans for the days leading up to Christmas? Is our house cleaned for family coming from out of town? The answer to most of those questions, I realized, is a definite no.
Normally, I would be anxious about all of these loose ends, and I would be desperate to tie them up as soon as possible. But, as I examine things more closely, I realize that, while not ideal, it is okay that there are only two wrapped presents under our tree. It is okay that our house, while decorated, has a guest room that has turned into a storage room. And it is okay that we don't quite know what our plans are or if we will be able to see everybody and do everything that we want to. Nothing ever works out perfectly during the holidays--that is just how life is--but that really isn't what the holidays are about. They are about focusing on the good in life: friends and family and health and joy.
And now more than ever, I am reminding myself of just that. Will we find time to shop and clean and make plans? Almost certainly--we always do. But worrying too much about getting everything crossed off of a checklist really can cut into the enjoyment of the holidays. So, if you feel like you need to, take a breath and a step back today and focus on what the holidays are really about and not on everything that is left to be done.
I promise that you will be glad that you did.
--Kathy