By Wilma Young CPT
So the holiday starts…the shopping, the bombardment of commercials and music and now the craziness that overtakes people to do stupid things like pepper spray someone to get a crummy TV that is on sale. It is insanity at its all time high. I started to feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. Do I send out Christmas cards? Do I only send them to family or loved ones that are not close by? Do I make the fattening appetizer that everyone loves or do a healthier version so I can make something delicious that isn’t going to contribute to a heart attack? Do I give myself a heart attack while trying to accomplish all of this nonsense? Do I buy EVERYONE gifts or just the people I really like? Do I put myself in a financial ditch to buy small trinkets that will not be important by the time January arrives? Oh boy, the anxiety kicks in and I feel like I’m drowning in the mistletoe and Christmas lights with no life preserver in sight. As the panic started to take residence in my being I had a flash come across my mind like a mental forehead slap. Trying to prioritize all of these tasks made me analyze where to start. “What is the most important thing about the holiday season?” The answer became clear and simple. Spending time with friends and family, enjoying their company and trying to show how much they mean to me is really the reason I do all of those crazy things. So I started to shift my energy, deciding that using my resources to spend time with people is more important than spending money I don’t have to spend. That the gift of time, love and humor is the most precious gift of all. Anyone that feels the pain of losing a loved one feels the void of that loss especially at this time of year. If you had the opportunity to spend one more day with that person and make another beautiful memory you would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. So instead of busting a gut trying to DO, DO, DO, try instead to BE, BE, BE. BE with your friends and relatives in a space that cherishes these joyous moments. BE present to life as it is happening. BE a good listener to that person that needs it today whether it is a stranger or a loved one. BE fun to be around and lighten your load with laughter. The gift you give through your positive energy is really what your fellow human being wants. BE grateful for this thing called life and value ever moment. Oh and if are one of my friends and don’t receive a gift this year I still do REALLY like!