It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

It’s hard to believe the holidays are upon us. With Christmas only 4 days away and the New Year just around the corner, I must admit I catch myself wondering ”where has the time gone?” Even my 9 and 11 year old have asked if I had noticed that the weeks were going by so quickly!


For me, simply the thought of what goes on in these last two months has me feeling exhausted and anxious. There are parities with the family, get-together’s with friends, winter parties at school (I guess they don’t want to offend anyone by saying holiday or Christmas), and work luncheons and dinners. Maybe even a neighborhood party, although we have yet to be invited to one of them, but I do know of others who attend them in their own neighborhoods! There’s shopping and baking, eating…

and more eating, parades and shows, decorations and lights, and then throw in some snow…just to add a touch of excitement!

And boy do the people start coming out of the woodwork. You know how it is, your fathers second cousins bothers’ wife’s mother-in-law’s…sister, is hosting a party on Sunday and would really love to see you and the kids!!!! Ok, not really, but there are times that when I feel so stretched that it actually feels a little like that!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s an extremely busy time of year.

Many feel it is full of hype, stress, and expectation.

And there’s also large number of folks who suffer depression through the holidays. Perhaps it’s the memories of a loved one who has passed or a divorce that has the kids away this year, maybe times are hard and you just don’t have the money to pull it off. I have heard more than once “I would love to just get out of town and skip the entire season”.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s a magical time of year.

For many it is filled with wonderful memories, anticipation, and child-like excitement.

And there’s also a large number of folks who are extremely generous through the holidays, going above and beyond to help those in need, donating money and volunteering time to a favorite charity or organization. There are even people out there who wish it could be Christmas all year round…I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

The truth is that both sides are reality. So how do we make it though this time of year with the bottom being our focus (ha-ha, I mean the second part of what I have written, not literally our bottoms…although that is something we do need to be cautious of!)

It’s Balance

It may be a bit more challenging through the holidays and there's a good chance that others may criticize your decisions, possibly even those closest to us. After all, each of us has an expectation of what we think the season should be like, who we should spend our time with, and how we should be spending our time. We know what’s important us and we would love for everyone to be on board with it. And if life were like a TV program, it would all work out perfectly!

But it’s not!

I know my experience is not too different from others…my parents are divorced, my husband’s parents are divorced, and of our combined 8 siblings 4 come from divorced families, and there is one who is also divorced. We’ve got a lot to work with!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

The best gift we can offer is simply being present. Showing up and enjoying the moment, spending quality time with those we love and care for most. When we make this our priority, the other stuff just doesn’t seem that important any more. When it comes to our family celebrations it’s not about that one particular day, but rather a focus on being together.

How freeing it is to know that you can sit back, relax, and be in tune to what’s going on around you, knowing there’s nowhere else that you need to be.

So when you catch yourself feeling a bit stressed, placing expectations that don’t need to be there, or worrying about things that are out of your control. Shrug your shoulders, put a smile on your face, and sing out loud ‘til your convinced…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

fyi...you can do this year round!