We are in the thick of the holiday season.
Last minute gifts are being picked up.
Plans have been made.
Turkeys and sugar plums are at the ready.
Take a deep breath.
I think it’s time for a holiday pause.
Take a second deep breath.
In and out.
Slowly.
Imagine the family arriving for the festivities and instead of rushing to gather coats and stow packages under the tree, imagine your family and friends with the sound turned down.
All the pleasantries are just a murmur.
Tune into what it is like just to exchange energy with these humans.
Notice the softness of their skin and the brightness to their eyes.
What scent do you notice? What do you hear other than the chaos? What sounds lie beneath the clatter?
Close your eyes and imagine them coming into the room and scooping you into their arms.
Feel the hug that wraps all the way around you.
Pull them in a little tighter so they get the signal that you are really here. You are really present in that moment.
When you are having stolen moments with people you love, the holidays are not a chore.
This is the time to imagine life in slow-motion.
You can slow it down with your mind.
Soak it in.
Let the gravy burn.
Let the snow melt on the hard wood floors.
Savor the moment.
This slow-motion practice let the love sink in a little deeper.
Then, saturated with love, let it speed up again.
I have been reading a lot of posts online about how people are spending more money this year than last Christmas. They are stressed about spending too much , gifts not being appreciated, cutting off all gift giving and going in debt.
Everyone was piling on.
I feel curdled just reading it all.
I am offering you a quieter, simpler thought to go into the second half of December.
And I wish you joy for the holiday season.
“Joy does not arrive with a fanfare,
on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.
Joy sneaks in as you pour a cup of coffee,
watching the sun hit your favorite tree just right.
And you usher joy away because you are not ready for it.
Your house is not as it must be for such a distinguished guest.
But joy cares nothing for your messy home,
or your bank balance or your waistline, you see.
Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life.
That’s how joy works.
You cannot invite her.
You can only be ready when she appears.
And hug her with meaning.
Because in this very moment joy chose you.”
~Donna Ashworth
This beautiful poem can be found in Donna’s book of poetry, Wild Hope. I first heard it enchantingly read by Harry Baker on HarryBakerPoet’s Instagram feed.
Happy Holidays!
I went Christmas shopping with a friend last night.
Our gift giving styles are very different.
Compared to my family, she was buying a lot of presents.
And let’s just say that she feels a lot more pressure to “get it right” when it comes to gift selection.
That must suck the fun out of shopping. She was looking pretty stressed.
But no matter how many gifts you buy or how few…
A gentle reminder for the holidays:
You can’t make someone love a gift you give them.
You can’t make someone feel loved because you give them a gift.
How they receive is up to them.
You can’t step inside their body and make them feel something.
You can only feel what you choose to feel.
Let yourself off the hook.
Enjoy the process of shopping since that’s what you have control over.
And let go of the outcome.
It’s out of your control anyway.