Let
the Holidays Be
by Lynn Cutts
Ah, the holidays.
That sleepless time of the year. That season when we become so frantic
and panicked and worried about everything we've got to do that we
forget to enjoy the process. That season of giving. And shopping
and wrapping and shipping. And decorating, cooking and cleaning.
Meanwhile, the challenges of everyday life continue.
Every year,
no matter how much I vow to not get caught up in the usual holiday
frenzy, I find myself baking cookies I won't eat (that perpetual
diet, you know), buying decorations I may not even display (and
if I do, it will only be for this one year), and buying gifts I
may not give (in case an unexpected Gift Giving Opportunity arises.)
I get so involved in the doing, doing, doing that I often forget
to just be. And more importantly, to let my family
just be. After all, if I'm turning into a grouch because I'm cutting
back on my sleep, making everyone miserable because I'm too busy
to participate in my favorite rituals, and overspending all my husband's
hard earned money (as well as my own!), then by Paul, George, John
and Ringo, I'd better be appreciated for it!
I think I've
figured part of it out. It's the "Last Chance to Shop for
Christmas" messages that start as early as Halloween. I'm not
exaggerating. I was receiving catalogs and advertisements reminding
me that "There's still time to order by Christmas" as
early as mid-November. Gosh, I hope so! The only people who are
finished with their Christmas shopping more than two days days before
the big date (my mother comes to mind) are those who are a) incredibly
efficient and organized, b) don't wait for the Christmas lists to
come in from others but buy the first thing they see, c) have nothing
else going on in their lives, or d) all of the above.
What if we tuned
out all this last minute urgency and just accepted that we're going
to be hitting the stores, along with all the other normal people,
on December 23rd and 24th? The holidays aren't a race: no one gets
an extra toy in their stocking because they had their shopping or
baking or decorating done early. And even if we do get things done
ahead of time, we'll find another holiday task (or ten) to fill
up our newly discovered "spare" time.
What if we turned
getting ready for the holidays into part of the holidays? What if
we stopped trying to finish everything earlier, better, and faster
than everyone else, and enjoyed the preparations? After all, That
Day will still come, whether you've baked ten kinds of cookies,
or one, or bought some from a bakery. It will still come, whether
there are 1500 lights on your house, or a wreath on the door. It
will still come, whether you've got your shopping done by July 23rd,
November 23rd, or December 23rd. And it will be just fine, no matter
what.
And even if
it doesn't turn out to be perfect, guess what? You get another crack
at it next year.
So relax a bit.
Spend time with friends and family. Give thanks for the bounty around
you.
And have a wonderful
holiday season.
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