Rediscover The Magic Of The Season
by Sheila McCormick on November 18th, 2009
Loading ...
When we were children, the sweet anticipation of the holiday season was enough to send visions of sugar plums dancing through our excited little heads and Christmas couldn’t get here fast enough. Unfortunately we often lose those magical feelings when we become adults and the frenzied pace of the holiday season becomes something to dread instead of something to look forward to. Social obligations, over-stimulated children, tight budgets, huge crowds and endless to-do lists can bring out the scrooge in anybody.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Make a vow to keep this holiday season magical for everybody, including yourself. The first thing to come to terms with is the fact that you can’t do everything. Much of our holiday stress is self-induced. The media and advertising industries have programmed us to believe that any holiday celebration that doesn’t mirror a Norman Rockwell print is a failure. In our zeal to create the perfect holiday for our families, we fling ourselves into a frantic pace that robs the season of its primary gifts of peace and joy.
So, take a deep cleansing breath and step back for a minute. Make a list of the things you think you need to accomplish between now and December 25. Now, go through that list again and mark off at least one third of the items. Congratulate yourself every time you mark an item off. For instance, your house can be presentable for the holidays without hand-polishing the silver or getting down on your hands and knees to wax the floors. Your children can survive without having hand-embroidered names on their stockings. Homemade cookies are wonderful but so are treats that come from your local organic grocery store. You don’t have to send Christmas cards to everyone you know and it’s okay to just sign your name without writing a personal note in each one. And do you really have to have the biggest, brightest tree on the block? You can be festive without being frivolous.
Make some time for yourself in your holiday schedule. Book an hour or two at a spa and treat yourself to a massage or an aromatherapy session. Pour a few drops of lavender oil into the tub and enjoy a hot bath after a long day of shopping to soothe your body and soul. Take a few minutes to meditate every morning and every evening and focus on the true meaning of this holiday.
The choice is yours to make. Trade your frantic pace for tidings of comfort and joy and rejoice with your loved ones as you watch the magic return to the season.
This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.