Surviving the holiday season
By now I’m sure you’ve felt the rush of the holiday season again upon us. Thanksgiving is over and Christmas music is playing in Walmart already. That wave of panic runs through our veins as we think of our holiday “to do ” list.
I fall into this holiday panic trap like the rest of you. I am thinking of the Thanksgiving menu I will cook, wondering what I will find for my husband for Christmas– he is hard to buy for! I am deciding on whether to bake my usual dozens of cookies this year or just do the minimum so I don’t end up eating a ton of sugar this season!
Last year, I am proud to say that we scaled back on Christmas big time. Much less gifts and decorating, more walks in our woods. This year we plan on doing the same, and more. Since the kids are grown (and they have too much stuff already!) and it is just the 2 of us (and we have all the stuff we need, as well!) I like to think of ways to celebrate the holidays that will be meaningful and pleasurable that don’t fall into the fast-paced, crazy Christmas rush. Instead of going crazy at the mall, Sandy and I have reduced our shopping and do the majority of it by mail order. Saves gas, time, and you don’t fall prey to all those sales! I encourage you to scale down your shopping for not only financial savings but also to place some of the celebration not on gifts, but on the reason for the season! Find special ways to celebrate with family, friends and coworkers. My colleague is hosting a cookie swap this year. Everyone bakes several dozens of cookies and you swap! Saves on baking lots of different kinds of cookies, and everyone gets new kinds to try. I will be initiating the 4th annual Woodbrook drive cookie swap. I place a plate of cookies in all of my neighbor’s mailboxes, and then, miraculously, over the next couple weeks, I receive daily mailbox deliveries of cookies! I bought tickets to see Michael McDonald at Easton’s State Theatre this December for Sandy and me, so we can get our fix of great Christmas music to usher in the season. You remember him- he’s the lead singer for the Doobie Brothers.
You see, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this holiday season that will focus more on being with people you love and less on being stressed out at the mall. Explore the possibilities and talk it up with your family and friends. Instead of hosting a huge party all by yourself, have a gathering in which you provide the drinks and main food item and have everyone bring a dish as an accompaniment. Go out to a great coffee shop and nibble a cookie over great tea or coffee and great conversation!
Most of all, take time out to breathe this holiday season. Put down the shopping bags and let your shoulders drop, close your eyes, and take a deep breath in. Hopefully if you are outside, you can smell someone’s woodfire burning, or catch a whiff of some fresh pine needles underfoot. Even if it’s pavement you are pounding, take time to relax, smile, and celebrate another year almost over, a new one on the horizon. This is your life, not a dress rehearsal, so enjoy it and make it the best life for you!
