‘Tis the season or is it?
It’s finally here, tis the season to the last few days before Christmas! Are you ready? Purchased all your presents? Mailed all your holiday cards? Decorated your home, inside & out? Shopped and prepped for all your holiday meals? Yikes! Say what …..
“It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree that matters, it’s who’s around it” Charlie Brown
Confession: I haven’t done a darn thing. Nope, no gifts, no cards. Just my Christmas tree. And you know what … I’m okay with it!
Why is it so easy for us to get so overwhelmed with the standard holiday guidelines? Comparing ourselves with what everyone else got accomplished so far? Feeling guilty that everyone has done so much? Is our house better decorated than the neighbor across the street? Oh my God, who cares!
As busy as our lives are with our family, crazy work schedules, the kids and simply life in general, who has time to compete and feel less than. We should truly focus on doing what’s best for US and that’s it. Create your own standard according to your every day, period!
The true essence of the holiday season is to be surrounded by Christmas cheer, our family, laughing with loved ones, eating those delicious meals, sipping on those cocktails, having awesome conversations and just purely loving on one another. Celebrating the birth of Christ and all those wonderful beliefs that exist in YOUR holiday. We are suppose to be overjoyed instead of being overwhelmed. Creating those memories and carrying on your family traditions that best serve you and give you life not stress!
I am completely okay with running out on the 24th with the hubby to get our gifts, stay up late to wrap those gifts and possibly sending out “Happy New Year” cards instead. WHY? Because that’s how we roll. We don’t stress over the details. We just get things done, when we have the chance and don’t let chaos settle in and freak us the hell out. We focus on what truly brings us joy during Christmas – family, laughter and our traditional acts of Christmas Cheer!
Every year on the weekend before Christmas, Santa comes around to our neighborhood in the town’s local fire truck spreading cheer and collecting canned goods for those families less fortunate. My lil guy is 14 now and knows the real deal with Mr. Claus (insert wink) But nonetheless, there we were out in the cold this year anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival. And still feeling excited once he turned the corner and blazed down our street. WHY? Because that’s our tradition. We donate yearly to “Toys for Tots”, our local FoodBank and “St. Jude’s”. WHY? Because that’s how we give back to those that need JOY in their holiday, it’s our tradition. Every Christmas Eve, we binge watch ALL our favorite Christmas movies, stay up late and then the next morning we go in our jammies to mom’s house for a big breakfast & gift exchange. This is by far our favorite family tradition. These are the non-negotiables we do as a family every year! Everything else gets done when the time affords us. And we are okay with that. We learned to release the overwhelm and simply embrace the joy.
“Christmas is not about the presents, it’s about being PRESENT “
So I ask for you to really focus on doing what really makes you feel good during the holidays and release those things that don’t. Share that joy in your heart with loved ones, be present, live in the moment and truly enjoy your Christmas. Make those memories that can only be captured in a state of peace & love. Not in stress and manheim. Make this a December to remember minus the Lexus in your driveway – LOL 🙂
