|
I myself have been guilty of doing such. December is such a busy month for me. My younger son has a birthday on December 7, my husband has a birthday on December 16, my older son has a birthday on December 17 and then, Christmas is 8 days later. Not only is it busy, but it can get expensive as well.
I have often found myself, in the weeks preceding the Christmas Holiday, worrying about how I was going to celebrate birthdays in a way that my family wouldn’t feel short changed with Christmas coming only a few weeks later.
The day after Thanksgiving officially starts the Christmas season for me. All my Christmas decorations go up that weekend and stay up until January 1. I take my time putting up my Christmas decorations. I work through the whole weekend. It just doesn’t seem important anymore to make sure that they are done by the end of the very first day. Commercially, the day after Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas Season as well, with the well known “Black Friday.”
I have only shopped on Black Friday twice. Once for my husband and once for my son, each time vowing that I would never stand in a line at 4 am with coffee in hand, to make sure that I was able to get that “much needed and wanted gift on sale.” To this day, even knowing that I may get suckered into standing in line again, I cannot understand why people do it year, after year, after year. Once in a while is enough for me.
For most people, "Black Friday" is where the stress line starts … officially.
From that point on, its checking sale flyers, taking notes from commercials, paying attention to what family members mention as something that they would like, planning the holiday meal or trips to relatives to enjoy the meal elsewhere.
In the old days, anxiety would build: How am I going to fit in Christmas shopping with my busy schedule? How can I avoid racking up credit card bills? I would ask myself, "Why does Christmas have to be so stressful?"
And then I realized that we do it to ourselves.
Now, I just “go with the flow.” No more rushing around buying presents, worrying about this or that.
All the wonderful things that I have going on in my life, have allowed me to sit back and just enjoy each day as it is presented to me.
I know that what I have could be gone in a second, so I make sure that nothing is more important that what I have, right now.
I now shop for Christmas all year. You know when the best time of year is? The week after Christmas. Sometimes I even get better prices then the "Black Friday" patrons!
I pick up things as I go along and put them in a box marked “Christmas Presents,” which I keep in a closet, and I write the name on the gift of the person it is going to so that I don’t forget.
Oh how I used to fuss over a Christmas meal. I would spend hours making sure that the ham was perfect. Planning the meal for weeks to make sure that I had side dishes that would compliment the meal. Breaking out my good china for the occasion and my good flatware. Then standing for hours cooking, setting the table and cleaning up afterwards.
By the time I was done, it was time for dessert and coffee, so once again, I was busy. Everyone else was enjoying my family … except me. I don’t do that any more. My Christmas meal is no longer an elaborate setting.
Last year it was Chinese take-out, shared with my husband, son and Mother-in-law and was quite possibly the best ever. Why? Because my Christmas meal isn’t about what is on the table any more. It’s about with WHOM I am sharing it. No meal can even begin to compare with that. I’m not saying that I order out every year, but I don’t fuss any more.
I guess what I am trying to say is don’t worry. Don’t stress. Take each day as it is presented to you and go with the flow. If you find yourself getting to a point of no return, sit back, look at what you have and tell yourself that you are blessed. Then, start again.
Getting into the worry-free and stress-free habit is hard at first, but after one or two years, you will perfect it! Start your own little “Christmas Present” box, and if you are shopping and see something that you think would be a nice gift for someone, get it! Put a post-it note on the gift with their name on it and put it in the box.
Don’t stress planning your meal. The Christmas meal doesn’t have to be elaborate. I know, I know. To some people, it is an all-important event, but it is just that: an event. All the work put into it, and in 20 minutes it’s gone, and you can look forward to more work cleaning up.
Now I’m not saying order Chinese take-out, but keep it simple – it gives you more time to spend with your family. After all, isn’t that what the season is REALLY all about?
© 2008 Melanie Ouellette – All rights reserved.
About the Author:
Melanie Ouellette is employed as a Service Coordinator for a Commercial HVAC Vendor. She is also a Licensed Barber and Nail Technician, and has a degree in Computer Science. Melanie loves writing children's stories and poems, and enjoys snowmobiling in Vermont and Northern Maine with her husband, Bill. She is also the parent of two children: a US Sailor, and a special-needs teenager. Currently, she resides in Connecticut. You can contact Melanie at melaniejpitt@att.net
|
