Holidays can be hard. When they’re good, they’re magical. When they’re not, they present the ideal in stark relief. Why aren’t you happy? Why does your family snipe at each other? Why does Uncle Bob always say cringy things?
I love Christmas. This one promises to be a good one. And yet it’s a mixed bag for me. We think about the people we’ve lost, or the things that haven’t turned out as we might have imagined, and the weight of the season can seem heavy.
A few thoughts:
- It’s just a day.
- You can make different choices every day.
- You always have a few minutes to do something you love, even as you’re being swept away by the rituals of the holidays.
- Be brave. Make that phone call. Reach out to that old friend.
- Give to others. Not stuff. Your time. Your patience to that frazzled clerk at the store. Your smile.
- Set a goal. Sure, resolutions are cheesy. Make one anyway.
- Tell someone you love him. Or her.
- Give yourself a break. No one will care if you don’t make the homemade whatever.
- Give yourself permission to skip out of a party if that’s what you want to do (or is that me talking to myself?).
- Turn off the news.
- Take a nap.
- Light a candle.
If you’re excited for the holiday, enjoy it to its fullest. If you’re not, that’s normal, too. Be kind to others, but, most of all, to yourself. Thank you for reading.
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