Wonderful Wednesday-The Storm We All Know As Christmas

“A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.”
~Garrison Keillor

Between buying gifts, wrapping gifts, last minute shopping for gifts, sending off Christmas cards (electronic or paper), planning Christmas dinner, buying the tree, decorating the tree, entertaining kids on holiday break, making Christmas dinner! Sigh! The joy of the season can quickly be buried in ALL that and then some! Leaving you crippled with stress if you’re not careful. Christmas suppose to be one of the most wonderful time of the year, but many of us are so caught up in the commercialization of the season we lose sight of it all; worrying yourselves sick trying to have everything perfect for that one day! I know because I’ve been there, done that.

Worrying about what you didn’t get done is NOT going to make is happen faster, in fact, it’s not going to make it happen at all. I rarely buy gifts nowadays, for the mere fact that every day is like Christmas for me. Throughout the year I’m buying gifts for family and friends. Yes, I still knock myself out decorating but that’s only because my decorations come out once a year, It would be a bore to have them up year around beside my children would NEVER allow me to have Christmas decorations up past January 6th. Mid-January is pushing it!

I know it’s easier said than done, but you have my permission de-stress this year. Breath, Meditate, Repeat! I’m not saying my life is worry-free or stress-free, but I’m not worried about what I don’t have or stressing over what’s not done. In my imperfection, my mind does slip back to its old ways but I always whip it back in line and centring myself. I know you want the best Christmas, I know you want to keep up all the traditions, you want your kids to have everything they’ve ask Santa for, you want your Christmas to be perfect in every which way and you deserve all that you desire and them some. But don’t spoil the season by ruining the holidays for yourself. Release the stress, forget about what you don’t have, accept what you do have, commend yourself on what you have done, forgive yourself for what you couldn’t do and move on, the storm will be over soon.

So, what’s stressing you this year? Not done gift shopping? Not sure about Christmas dinner? Not being able to keep up ALL the Christmas traditions? Share in the comment section or better yet, share your Christmas story 🙂

~Happy Wednesday

©Etta D. Richards