Do you remember what if felt like when you were young, anticipating the holiday season? For me, it was excitement, hope, surprise and an extra helping of family tenderness. It was sitting down with all the cookie recipes and picking out the ones that we wanted to taste that year. It was my Dad risking the climb onto the roof to mount Santa and his reindeer. It was a time of pageantry and driving from house to house to arouse those tucked in with a chorus of carols. The world seemed to draw closer, as the cold weather set in, and snuggle into a winter embrace.
How was it for you? What are
your holiday memories? Are you able to still feel that childlike excitement as
we head into the holiday season? What would it take to be back there again in
that embrace?
As adults we often feel
overwhelmed with even more to do than usual this time of year. We overspend,
buying things people don’t need or want, just to have something to give them
because we are supposed to. We go to parties and over eat and drink, often
because we are feeling deprived and drained. We run around exhausted, trying to
get it all done, heeding the “should” voice in our head, driving ourselves to
do what we think we must in order for everyone to have a great holiday. Then
when the day arrives we just want to get to the other side of it, to
survive. There is little joy in the
holiday for us.
What if we chose to focus on
those seasonal feelings we originally felt and new ones we want to create, doing
only what is aligned with experiencing those feelings? What would your holidays
look like if it were exactly how you wanted it to be? We can give ourselves the
gift of pleasure this holiday season by remembering what it is really all
about.
Since we all feel this way
about the holidays, we can hold a heart-to-heart meeting with our family and
find out what would truly make their holiday special in a meaningful way.
A few years back, my family
decided that we had enough stuff and each year it was getting harder to buy for
each other since we didn’t need anything. The gift giving that is dictated by
tradition had lost its meaning. What really mattered was getting together over
a meal and sharing stories of our lives–connecting in a meaningful way. Now we
use the money we would have spent on gifts and give to each other’s favorite
charity. We love that our money is going to good use, in this case to people
who can’t afford their own holiday meal and gifts. It is so rewarding to know
that we can make a difference in the lives of others in this easy way. That is
the best gift for all of us under the tree.
My friend, Debbie’s
large family each picks a name out of a hat and gets one gift for that person
instead of twenty for every person in the family.
My friend, Kathy’s
family has a White Elephant Gift Exchange where each person buys a funny gift
and then, going around the circle, each one picks a gift either already opened
or an unopened one. They have a ball. Then they eat their holiday dinner, which
is a chili competition where each has brought their favorite chili concoction.
You don’t have to be locked
in to the dictates of culture. Break free and create your own holiday. This can
be the most meaningful holiday ever.
May love and joy come to you and to your loved ones, too. Have a wonderful holiday season.
