I have to admit I am enjoying this Christmas season much more than I have in the past, and I know it is because I don’t have a lot of the work stresses that I used to have before I changed my career! I have found that I am able to focus so much more on the joy of this time of year rather than feeling so frantic and rushed.
I have had the time this year to be even more thoughtful and creative with the gifts I give (because giving gifts to those I love is one of my favorite things to do). I think it means so much more to give a well thought out gift. Because I have experienced so much less hustle and bustle I have been able to feel the spirit of the season and feel amazing gratitude for all that I have. Do you ever feel so busy that you don’t take the time to appreciate what is right in front of you? I have definitely been guilty of that throughout my life, but there’s something about getting older that makes you appreciate what you have and who is in your life so much more.
Christmas is the perfect time of year to ponder our blessings and more than that, to show appreciation to those we love for what they do for us. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like my kids don’t get what they want for pretty much the entire year, but at Christmas, there seems to be so much more wonder and love.
I love that my childhood years were spent in England celebrating Christmas with Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and Cousins, and that we managed to stretch it out over 2 full days (of course with the added Boxing Day). I remember one year we played a game with my family that required us to play a cassette tape, listen to the first few notes, the beat or just the lyrics and try to figure out what the name of the song was. It believe it was called “Name that tune”. It had us rolling on the floor laughing by the end, because as you can imagine playing with 3 generations of people, the musical tastes are so different. I don’t remember who won, and it really doesn’t matter, what was fun was that we were connecting, laughing, and loving each others’ company!
As I am much older now I realize that those memories are something that I can draw on when things seem dark and dreary. In fact, it has made me even more determined to create amazing memories for our kids. I hope that they will one day feel the same way I do about my childhood, and share great memories with their own kids.
As you can tell by my picture today, I am having fun & feeling joy. I have found that when I don’t get so caught up in being something for someone else and just have fun being me…that’s when I am the happiest. Maybe you could try this as a Christmas gift to yourself 😉
I hope that some of my silliness and joy rubs off to you so that you can have a fabulous Christmas and Holiday Season.